Honour Thy Blood
by TheBlack'sResurgence
Summary: Beginning in the graveyard, Harry fails to reach the cup to escape but is saved by an unexpected person thought long dead. Harry learns what it is to be a Potter and starts his journey to finish Voldemort once and for all. NO SLASH. Rated M for language, gore etch. A story of realism and Harry coming into his own.
1. Defiance

**A/N (Edited) Just some light editing on this chapter, Nothing particularly significant. I just added some scene breaks and adjusted a few sentences mostly.**

 **I am attempting to write something as realistic as possible. For this reason I will avoid overly bashing characters and try to steer clear of the whole Lord Potter stuff that plague fics. There will be a lot of character development particularly with Harry but all characters will have their flaws as we as people all do. I will include my own take on the whole inheritance stuff and titles and such. There will be unavoidable similarities with other fics but I will be as original as possible and if I inadvertently include key aspects from other fics I apologise in advance and no copying will be done intentionally and I do not intend to steal other ideas purposely.**

 **As far as I am aware my idea is unique. As for pairings, they will be included but they will NOT be canon because to me they make no sense as the characters do not complement each other and let's face it, you don't get with your friends sister and you don't end up with someone as jealous as Ron. It WON'T be a Harry/Hermione fic though. I have an idea of pairings but you will have to wait and see. I am English so all spelling will be done in the Standard English format. Thank you and please rate, review and follow if you enjoy.**

 **PS. I of course own no part of the Harry Potter universe but I'm looking forward to having my fun in the playground.**

 **Honour Thy Blood**

 **Chapter 1: Defiance**

Albus Dumbledore was worried, very worried in fact. The expected alert from the wards that a portkey had been used within the grounds had reached him minutes ago and yet, there was no sign of a winning champion on the designated point of arrival. He had known for some time that he was assured a Hogwarts victory as both champions from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had been rescued from the maze 15 minutes ago. His pride in his champions had since turned to fear for their safety as neither could be accounted for and the cup had clearly been taken. His usual calm demeanour began to waver and the eternal twinkle in his eyes had dimmed considerably. He turned to look at the other judges and saw looks of confusion reflected back at him. Upon seeing the look the headmaster adorned they too knew that something was gravely amiss. He looked towards the perimeter of the maze where he knew Moody would be patrolling but could see no sign of him. He stiffened suddenly an even deeper sense of fear creeping up his spine and settling into his very core. Moody. It was Moody who had placed the cup at the centre of the maze. The previous school year suddenly flashed in front of his eyes and his heart almost stopped in his chest. Moody was late to the feast, he was never late. Moody had avoided his company as much as possible this year and he and Moody had been friends for decades. It was Moody who had investigated Harrys' name being put in the cup in the first place and came up with nothing. The Moody Dumbledore knew would not have stopped looking until he found something. Snape had been adamant that suspicious ingredients had been going missing from his stores. Boomslang skin, lacewing flies… He was suddenly aware at how foolish he had been and now his laxity may have cost the lives of two of his students. He had simply put Moody's behaviour down to his eccentricity and his desire for privacy in his later years.

He stood suddenly and signalled to Professor McGonagall. She approached looking confused and then equally worried when she saw the expression on Dumbledore's' face.

"Minerva, where is Alastor?" he asked as calmly as possible.

"He took Mr Krum to the medical tent when he was brought out of the maze" she replied unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

Before she could question him Dumbledore was already moving quickly towards the tent so she followed him wanting to know what had clearly flustered the usually calm headmaster. When he reached the tent there was no sign of Moody and Madame Pomfrey was treating Fleur Delacour for a variety of cuts and bruises she had received in the maze. Before he could utter a word to the strict nurse cut him off.

"Albus, it appears that Mr Krum has been placed under the imperious curse and is very confused, he has no memory of being in the maze" she finished clearly concerned for the young Bulgarian.

Dumbledore looked towards Krum and could clearly see the tell-tale glazed look in his eyes. He strode towards him waving his wand in an intricate pattern muttering under his breath. He found more than what he had expected. He had indeed been placed under the imperious curse but his memory had also been wiped.

"Poppy where did Alastor go when he left the tent" he asked the Matron with a hint of urgency in his voice.

She looked at Dumbledore confused but shook herself from her momentary lapse to reply. "He said he was going back to the maze to wait for the other champions, Albus, what is going on?" she asked with her hands on her hips, back to her usual no-nonsense self.

"Please Poppy, remain here and tend to your patients" he retorted quickly and left the tent before either woman could question him further. Pomfrey and McGonagall shared a knowing look before the latter left to follow.

Dumbledore started to make his way towards the castle now having a very clear idea on what had happened. He had been duped and now two of his students and friends life hung in the balance. He knew the real Alastor had to be close by he would be needed for the vital ingredient to pull of such a plan. He quickened his pace the fear within him giving way to a cold fury, a fury he hadn't felt in decades. His eyes darkened and narrowed behind his half-moon spectacles and he could feel his magic react to his emotional state, it was boiling under the surface and leaking around him; his anger was palpable.

McGonagall could feel the anger radiating off him and quickly rushed to catch up to her long-time friend now knowing that something was very wrong indeed. Before she could ask, Dumbledore spoke in a dangerously low voice.

"Fetch Severus, tell him to get some veritaserum and bring him to Moody's' office" he instructed the transfiguration Professor firmly.

She stopped dead in her tracks at the unfamiliar tone of his voice. This was no longer the docile, lemon drop eating, strange humoured headmaster everyone had become accustomed to. This was the man that had saved the wizarding world from Grindelwald all those years ago. The man that all would be Dark Lords had feared since. She shivered at the fury she could sense but quickly rushed away to carry out his request.

Dumbledore made his way to the fourth floor, his wand gripped tightly in anticipation for the coming confrontation. He reached the door and steeled himself before taking a deep breath. He could hear muffled voices beyond the heavy door and before he could comprehend his own actions he had already given his wand a sharp flick sending a blasting curse at the obstacle before him.

The door exploded inwards, splintering into thousands of tiny pieces. When the smoke and haze had cleared he entered the room seeing Moody clearly unconscious on the floor next to his open trunk in the corner of the office. He quickly bound the unconscious form and stuck him to the wall with a simple sticking charm.

He heard a faint cough coming from the open trunk and made his way over. Looking down into the depths he could see a very thin and dishevelled Alastor Moody, minus one eye and one leg.

"The bastards got the jump on me Albus, Crouch, Pettigrew and some weird baby thing" he said clearly disorientated after his ordeal.

"Crouch"? Dumbledore asked, "Barty Crouch"? He asked surprised.

"Junior, Albus, that's the shit up there with you now with my eye and damned leg" Moody growled, clearly angry.

"Minerva and Severus are on their way here now Alastor, we will have you out in a moment" Dumbledore replied, relieved that his friend was at least alive although a little worse for wear.

He turned to look at the imposter only to be met with the sight of a man he thought dead for many years. The leg and eye belonging to Moody had fallen to the floor as the man had taken his natural form, the form of Bartemius Crouch Junior. He looked considerably older; his sandy brown hair streaked generously with grey and the lines and wrinkles in the face and around the eyes told a story of an exceedingly difficult time in Azkaban.

He was roused from his thoughts by a sharp intake of breath coming from the doorway behind him. Turning, he saw the looks of surprise on the face of the usually stoic Snape and McGonagall.

"Is that…" McGonagall began only to be interrupted by Dumbledore.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is" he cut in. "Minerva, Alastor is in the trunk and in need of medical attention, please help him to Madame Pomfrey, Myself and Severus will handle this" he finished waving his hand towards the trunk without taking his eyes of the incapacitated man bound to the wall.

McGonagall pursed her lips and went about her task knowing that it was not the time to protest or question the headmaster further. She fetched the discarded eye and leg from the floor and levitated the real Moody from the trunk. She exited with the still grumbling ex auror leaving Dumbledore and Snape alone with the prisoner.

Snape moved to stand next to Dumbledore, rolling up his left sleeve as he did so, revealing a very prominent tattoo on his forearm which Dumbledore looked at and sighed deeply rubbing his eyes beneath his spectacles.

"Does this mean what I think it means"? The potions professor asked with an air of apprehension in his voice.

It was clear that although he was trying his best to remain calm he was more than a little nervous knowing what would be asked of him.

"I fear it is my boy" Dumbledore replied, looking every year he had lived and equally saddened. "Young Harry and Cedric are yet to return from the maze and the portkey warning alerted me to the cup being claimed close to an hour ago now".

"And you think that the Dark Lord may have them"? Snape asked no longer seeming nervous but slightly bitter at the mention of the Potter boys name.

Dumbeldore sighed again with slight exasperation knowing that his potions master had no lost love for Harry. "Based on his past history at this school it would seem that it is a fair assumption to make" He replied, keeping his frustration towards Snape and his views on Harry to a minimum.

Snape curled his lip in a sign of distaste. "Ahh yes, the boys history at school, which you insist in not sharing Albus, not even with the staff here" Snape retorted in a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

"They are not my stories to tell Severus as I have said time and time again" Dumbledore said irritably, having had this argument several times with several members of staff. "Suffice to say, Harry is a very remarkable and gifted young man and if you could see beyond your petty differences with his relatives you may see it yourself. Despite what you think Harry seeks neither fame nor glory for his feats but I daresay if he did he would be much more revered and reviled in our world than he ever has been. All he wants is to be normal Severus and yet society will never allow that" he finished sadly. "However now is not the time to discuss Mr Potter and his many achievements, please administer the veritaserum to our guest so we may see what we can learn from him".

Snape knew a closed discussion when he heard one but it did not stop him feeling agitated towards the headmaster and his aloofness when it came to Potter.

He stepped forward and angled the vial of potion to allow 3 drops to fall into the already open mouth of Crouch JR. He stepped back drawing his wand from his sleeve and with a muttered " _Ennervate",_ the unconscious man began to stir, his eyelashes fluttering open to reveal his glazed blue eyes showing that the potion had taken affect. Without hesitation Dumbledore stepped forward and began his questioning.

"What is your name" He asked calmly, not displaying the worry he felt.

"Bartemius Crouch Jr" came the monotonous reply.

"Where are Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory" Dumbledore asked his voice now laced with a small amount of urgency.

"If the portkey worked as intended they would have been taken to Riddle Manor in Little Hangelton" he replied with a cruel smile.

Dumbledore was truly shaken now. "Severus, get any and all information you can from him then send for Amelia Bones directly and tell her to bring only aurors she trust implicitly. I will return as soon as I can" he finished calling out for his phoenix familiar.

With a final look of disgust towards Crouch Jr, he disappeared in a flash of fire leaving behind a confused potions master, annoyed that the headmaster had departed before he could open his mouth to speak. Snape scowled at the space where Dumbledore had only seconds ago been standing but turned to further question the only remaining man in the room. He knew that tonight was going to be a long night.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry Potter was not in a good place. He was on his knees clutching the smoking remains of his phoenix feather wand; he knew his time was coming to an end.

He had taken his parents instruction and tried to run for the cup that would return him back to the safety of the castle and away from this hellish nightmare. It was not to be however. His leg bitten by the acromantula had given out mere feet away from the trophy and as he raised his wand to summon it to him, it was struck by an errant spell. All that remained was a smouldering slither of wood with a bright red feather protruding from the end still smoking from its destruction which he clung to regardless of its now useless state.

He was exhausted, breathing heavily and quite severely injured. He looked at the colder growing corpse of Cedric with an unfathomable amount of sorrow.

He replayed his parents' words throughout his mind. Hearing the love they had for him in their own words had given him his final burst of energy to make his escape but alas, it was not enough to overcome the physical trauma he had sustained. The bite, the several torture curses, the exhausting duel with Voldemort and the blood loss from the dagger wound given to him by Pettigrew had concluded in him finding himself in this position.

Now he knew that all he had left to do was face his inevitable death and he would be damned if he died on his knees cowering at the feet of the man who had murdered his parents. Tom Riddle, the man who had mercilessly taken the life of both his mother and father was stood only a few dozen yards away. The reason he had been raised by the Dursleys, the reason he had had a miserable existence the reason he found himself how and where he was now.

He would not die on his knees, he would look the bastard straight in the eye the same way his father had and defy him to the last second just as his mother had.

There was nothing left to take from Harry Potter except his dignity and there was no way he was giving up anything else to the murdering bastard who had already taken everything he held in his heart away from him.

He was suddenly filled with a rage he had never thought possible, it coursed through his very veins like molten lava. How dare this bastard trap him and trick him the way he had and only try to duel him when he was already wounded? He realised something in that moment.

Tom Riddle was nothing but an opportunist; he really was a slytherin through and through. The Death Eaters in front of him mistook his shaking for fear but could not see the emerald fire that danced dangerously in the young mans' eyes. They were very much taken aback when they heard him chuckling and saw him stand on shaky legs to face the Dark Lord despite the fact he was unarmed.

His leg was quivering violently under his weight but he knew this was his defining moment. He would make sure that Tom Riddle would never forget that the last Potter stood before him in his final moment, as defiant as his Mother before him and as fearless as his Father.

He laughed again when he saw both, the look of confusion and grudging respect on the face of Riddle. He spat out the blood that had formed in his mouth and returned to staring his adversary in the face just waiting for the end that he knew was to come.

Voldemort looked upon the boy in front of him amazed that he had the ability and the fortitude to face him the way that he was. He could not help but respect the final stand that Potter was making. In this moment he saw the man that he would become and he felt a shiver make its way up his spine at the thought of that coming to pass.

He knew one day that Potter could have been his downfall and he knew that he had been fortunate in his plan to bring him here and end it now before he could become a real threat.

Knowing now that there was no way for the boy to escape he allowed his wand to hang loosely at his side before addressing his foe.

"I'm impressed Potter" He said casually. "You have finally shown me why you have been considered my biggest threat all these years, I see the anger in your eyes, the desire for vengeance, you would have been quite the rival had you lived that long" He finished.

The Death Eaters around him looked confused. Did the Dark Lord just praise a half-blood and a child? Did he just claim that this boy was his biggest threat? They believed that Potter had gotten lucky thirteen years ago and that it was he had been nothing more than a setback in the Dark Lord's plans. They could not see the potential that Potter had. As far as they knew he was not a remarkable wizard and was not overtly talented.

Lucius Malfoy in particular was very confused. He had had his son watch Potter from day one and by all accounts Potter was mediocre at best. Had his son missed something? Or had he simply let his jealousy cloud his judgement of the young man stood in front of him?

He looked into Potters' eyes and saw the fire that burned within them. A bright emerald fire that he would not forget resided there and it made him feel uneasy. He swallowed back his unease with an audible gulp and looked back at his master to see the grudging respect etched on his face. There was something about Potter that he was wary of and Lucius Malfoy detested being wary.

"I offered you the chance to stand by my side in your first year at Hogwarts Harry, do you remember? Of course you do. You foolishly turned down my offer, but I stand by what I said, you would have been great, together we could have been great" he finished ignoring his followers around him. "But Lord Voldemort only offers his hand once Harry, you refused and now you die a pointless death for nothing" He spat in anger.

Before he could raise his wand the young man dared to laugh at him again and Voldemort thought for a second that he had simply gone insane.

Harry found himself amused by the speech. He wasn't sure if he had lost his mind all he knew was that he was no longer scared. In fact he was now looking forward to it all being over. There would be no more pain and no more fear. He would finally be reunited with his parents, which he had always desired more than anything else.

He had dreamed that he could bring them back and they could live happily together as they should have been able to but he had long since given up on that dream of folly and childish wishes and had resigned himself to the fact he would have to wait until his end before he could see them again.

He knew his luck would eventually run out but he did not expect his time would come to a close so soon. But now he accepted it had and the prospect of being with his family had made him quite impatient for it all to finally be over.

He gave a final laugh before looking at Riddle critically one final time. The anger he felt was pulsing through him but he composed himself, he would show no more weakness.

"You're right Tom I did refuse you then and would now" Harry stated with satisfaction at the anger he could see in Voldemorts' eyes at the casual use of his given name. "You're a coward Riddle, attacking people in the dead of night, torturing harmless innocent wizards, witches and muggles. I would rather die a thousand times than join you, I doubt you have had an honest fight in your life" He spat his anger showing in his voice. "Yeah you'll kill me but there will always be people who will stand against you and one day you will be where I stand now and I hope that who is holding that wand shows you the same kind of mercy you have shown in your life" He spat again favouring his injured leg. "Fuck you Tom Riddle" He finished spitting blood at Voldemorts' feet wearing a cruel smile.

Voldemort was shocked but the shock quickly turned to anger.

"All who stand against me will fall just like your foolish parents and now you" he screamed in rage. He levelled his wand at Harry the tip already glowing an eerie green. " _Avada Kedavra"_ he shouted with all the hatred he could muster.

But before he even began his incantation a thick, opaque black fog had rolled in and surrounded him and his Death Eaters. He knew his aim was true and that from this distance there was no way he could have missed with his spell but he was furious that he would not see Potter fall.

A gentle single popping sound permeated the silence followed quickly by another. He furiously waved his wand dispelling the fog to find the spot where Potter had stood was now empty. All that remained was the no longer smoking remains of his destroyed wand.

He knew his spell had hit and he knew that Potter could not apparate through the wards around the graveyard. He was confused and furious. Someone had taken the corpse he planned on parading through the streets of the wizarding world to show that he could not be stopped, not even by Harry Potter.

He took some comfort in knowing that Potter was finally dead but he wanted that corpse. He screamed again in rage sweeping his wand and levelling the remaining tombstones in the graveyard.

Someone would pay for this travesty.

 _(BREAK)_

He watched through his steel grey eyes from the edge of the graveyard. He knew that this day would come but he had not expected it so quickly.

He knew that Voldemort had not truly been killed thirteen years ago and had used that time to learn as much as he could about the man. It had been difficult, according to the wizarding world he had died not long after the fall of the Dark Lord but in reality, he had spent the last thirteen years preparing for his inevitable return.

He had learnt many months ago from the muggle newspapers about the disappearance of Frank Bryce, the Riddles' gardener and vowed to keep vigil on the property from then on. He had the property watched continuously through his elves but had learnt very little. He was aware that wards had been placed around the property, simple wards only; muggle repelling, anti-apparition and basic notice-me-not charms but no people had been seen entering or leaving the property until tonight.

His elves had alerted him to what was happening and he quickly made his way here. He saw the other boy bought along with Potter murdered needlessly in cold blood and knew if he didn't act then Potter would follow shortly.

He watched in anger and sadness as Potter was bound to the tombstone and had his blood stolen to be used in that disgusting potion by the fat rat looking man. He watched in a mixture of awe and horror as Voldemort rose from the cauldron and equal fury as he tortured an unarmed and defenceless Potter.

He witnessed Potter stand against him even though it was a helpless situation and the odds were against him. He watched their brother wands connect and felt a sense of pride fill him as Potter bested the Dark Lord. He watched the shades emerge from the wand although he could not hear what they were saying he could see the determination appear in the boys' eyes.

He saw Potter fall and his heart filled with dread. He heard Potter laugh and thought as the Death Eaters did they he had finally snapped and lost his mind.

He saw Potter stand and look at the Dark Lord defiantly and saw an all too familiar look in his eyes, a look he hadn't seen in many, many years.

He could not be prouder of the boy in that moment; he swelled with joy at the memories that that look had awoken within him. He would have attempted to save the boy because of his own history but now he was determined. He could see the potential in him the same potential he had himself witnessed all those years ago.

Upon seeing that look he knew the boy was the best hope of someone ending the Dark Lord once and for all. He tore at the anti-apparition wards furiously knowing he had to work quickly and precisely to pull his plan off.

As he tore through the wards he could see the green glow at the tip of the Dark Lords wand and quickly twirled his wand in a figure eight motion followed by a sharp jab towards Riddle and his followers creating a thick black from the end of his wand.

When he was sure he would not be seen he apparated behind the boy only to see him hit full on in the face by the killing curse. He caught him as he fell backwards seeing an inky black substance pouring from the infamous lightning bolt scar followed by an ear-splitting screech that made him recoil in nausea at the reek of the darkness he could feel.

The black inky mass dissipated quickly and he checked for a pulse not expecting to find one present.

Shockingly it was there, very faint, but there. He disapparated home with haste knowing he needed to be quick to save the boys' life.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore arrived in the graveyard in a flash of fire, wand in hand ready, only to hear the tell-tale cracks of several people disapparating before he could catch his bearings.

He looked upon the scene of destruction with his keen eyes trying to discern what had happened. It was clear that quite the fight had taken place and he held on to the small glimmer of hope that his students had managed to hold off Voldemort long enough to escape.

The feeling was short lived however as he spotted the lifeless body of Cedric Diggory only a few feet to his left and the triwizard cup discarded next to him.

A sad silent tear escaped him as he mourned the needless loss of a fine young man. He composed himself quickly knowing that Cedric could no longer be helped but there was still hope for Harry.

He approached the enormous cauldron and peered inside. He frowned at the unknown potion but could sense a few of the ingredients; flesh, blood and bone. He felt queasy knowing that nothing good could be born from such a concoction.

He abandoned his musings in search of any sign of Harry and was caught short when he came upon the broken remains of his wand.

He picked it up in a shaking hand feeling the warmth of his familiar radiating from it.

Fawkes trilled sadly at the destruction of a wand he had helped create and trilled again in an even more melancholy manner at the thought of the loss of the wands owner.

Dumbledore sighed wiping away the tears that he was unaware had formed in his eyes again and fired off a patronus to Severus asking him to send Amelia Bones to the graveyard as soon as possible.

He continued with his investigation of the area piecing together what had happened. He felt the expected presence of Tom Riddle being very familiar of the types of spells he used. He felt the all too familiar presence of his more prolific followers having come across them many times during the last war. He found the ward lines and ran a diagnostic charm to see what types of wards had been created.

He frowned at the results. He ran the check again to be sure he was seeing the outcome for what it really was.

There was no denying it. There were signs of an anti-apparition ward but the ward had been broken by a very skilled wizard.

The presence was somewhat familiar to Dumbledore but he could not place it, the wizard had concealed himself very well.

He checked the graveyard again for any other sign of the wizard and was again surprised and confused to find a sudden sharper presence of the individuals signature where he had found the remains of Harrys' wand. The sudden presence led him to believe that whomever it was had apparated directly where Harry had stood and away again.

He knew that he would learn little else from here and could only hope that this person was an ally and had managed to help Harry escape.

He knew that it was important to find Harry if he was alive there were things he needed to know and he just hoped that he would be forgiven for withholding so much from the boy. If Harry had not managed to survive then Dumbledore knew that the coming years would be very dark indeed. Without their beacon of hope and saviour the wizarding world will crumble to dust without much resistance and Tom Riddle would exert his will upon them all.

"Do you think it's possible he escaped?" He asked his still trilling familiar.

Fawkes paused and cocked his head to the side, his black beady eyes focused on his long-time friend. He screeched a long hopeful note eliciting a deep feeling of hope within the headmaster who simply stroked the birds' plumage and smiled gently his eyes regaining some of their usual twinkle.

"You're right my friend, we have to have faith in Harry, he has certainly overcome the odds enough times now for me not to count him out" He finished feeling a little more calm knowing that there was still some hope that the boy was ok.

He knew that if Harry had been captured and taken away by Tom that he would soon be made aware of it. Tom would be compelled to boast and would feel no need to hide in the shadows with the death of Harry.

He knew not many would truly stand against him if Harry fell to his wand. He was sure that Harry had not yet been killed as he could still feel the presence of the blood wards he had erected at Privet Drive and if he were to die the wards would fall immediately.

He would alert Amelia to his disappearance and hope that a combined effort could find Harry alive and well.

He was broken from his thoughts but the arrival of the head of the DMLE and two of her aurors. They hadn't always seen eye to eye but Dumbledore knew she was honourable if nothing else. She herself had lost most of her family during the last war and he knew he could have a powerful ally in Madame Bones.

"What the hell is going on Dumbledore?" She asked impatiently. "The school is in uproar wondering what is happening and the press is having a field day shouting about you and your incompetence". She faltered seeing the grim look in the eyes of the chief warlock and faltered further still at the site of the body of Cedric Diggory.

Dumbledore sighed again, a sad sigh. He explained everything that had happened to the director and her two aurors who simply gaped at what they were being told.

When he was finished Amelia looked simply dumbfounded and overwhelmed by all she had heard.

"Fudge will never believe it" She managed to stammer out after composing herself for several moments. "He won't believe until he sees it for himself and with Lucius Malfoy pulling his strings he will simply ignore everything". "What the hell can we do Albus? What do we tell the Diggorys' and what about Potter?" She asked firing the questions quickly not waiting for a reply.

"We tell them the truth Amelia, that's all we can do and hope that people see the truth for what it is, and Harry is very resourceful, believe me there is very little in this world that would cause our young Mr Potter real trouble" He chuckled in fondness at the memories of Harry and his perchance for finding himself in situations and coming out on top over and over again.

Before she could scold him for his inappropriate laughter he raised a placating hand.

"Mr Potter is a very capable wizard I will not divulge the unknown specifics but suffice to say he has done things that most would deem impossible. He mastered the Patronus charm at 13 years old and drove off all 100 dementors that Cornelius had deemed fit to guard Hogwarts after Sirius Black escaped" Dumbledore said satisfied at the look of awe on the faces of the aurors and the head of the DMLE.

"That's impossible, no one can drive any more than a few Dementors at a time" The young female auror retorted disbelievingly.

"My dear Nymphadora I can assure you that it is in fact possible as young Harry himself did it and had he not he and his godfather would have suffered a most unfortunate fate" Dumbledore replied amused at the young metamorphs constant changing hair colour.

"Why would Potter save Black? He betrayed the boys' parents to the Dark Lord" Amelia asked confused more so than she had ever been.

The young female auror was paying rapt attention, she was very interested in hearing Dumbledore's' answer to that question, very interested indeed.

"As chief warlock of the wizengamot I cannot influence your investigation but I daresay that you will find the most peculiar magical presence of a wizard thought murdered by Mr Black some thirteen years ago in this very graveyard" He said, not elaborating further.

Amelia blinked taken aback at that statement. "Pettigrew? You're telling me Pettigrew is alive and in league with the Dark Lord?" She asked suspiciously, not sure if she could believe what she was hearing.

"It is not my place to say and you know that I cannot officially take part in any investigation, however, I'm sure if you take a look into the official documents you will find some very interesting reading or more accurately lack of reading" he finished putting as much emphasis on his hint as possible. "Anyway you are here now to do your job and I must speak to the Diggorys' and inform them of what has happened" He finished reverting back to his mournful demeanour. "And I believe that when you are finished here I have a most interesting man you will want to take into custody, he is pivotal to what has occurred this evening" he finished flashing away in flames again back to Hogwarts.

Amelia simply shook her head and tried to digest what she had been told and what she had learned. There was much to do and it was just the beginning.

She had no reason to doubt Dumbledore, he was not one for scaremongering, if anything he had played down the seriousness of the situation.

She knew that her life would become very hectic and very busy but she would not allow anyone else she cared about to die at the Dark Lord's hand.

She had work to do and lots of it.

Nymphadora Tonks was deep in thought. She had always believed that her cousin had turned traitor against his best friend and now she had just learnt that there was a chance that it wasn't true.

She had much to think on and much to do.

She would take Dumbledore's' advice and look into the matter starting with this graveyard and then she would speak to her Mother.

If anyone knew the kind of man Sirius Black was it would be her. She set to work with a lot of information whirling through her mind determined to find the truth.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry Potter found himself in a very strange place, strange because there was nothing but a translucent grey mist.

Although the mist was fairly thin there was nothing else to be seen but he felt that he was certainly not alone.

There were voices, many voices that seemed to come from nowhere whispering to him but none were discernible except for the occasional word that he could hear if he focused enough.

He walked forward lost in thought, some of the voices fading to nothingness as others became clearer.

He thought back to his final moments and felt a sense of pride at how he had carried himself and had goaded Riddle into anger. He was surprised that his life did not flash before his eyes as the green light of the killing curse hurtled towards him. Instead he became acutely aware of everything around him in the moment; the smell of his own blood and perspiration, the gentle breeze of the June evening that gently caressed his damp skin but above all else he felt the serenity knowing that all of his heartache and pain would soon be over.

Yes, there were people he would miss but now he would get to be with those who he had had for only the briefest amount of time when he was a baby.

He walked forward quickening his pace at the thought of seeing his parents again only to be stopped in his tracks by a gentle voice that easily drowned out the other surrounding murmurs.

"Please stop Harry, listen to what we have to say and then you can make any choice you want to. I promise that we won't try to change your mind once you have heard us out" The familiar voice said in a somewhat pleading tone.

Harry was shocked. He knew that voice but had only heard it in his darkest moments pleading for his life to be saved and hers to be taken instead courtesy of his worst nightmares and his run ins with the dementors. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat before replying.

"Mum? Is that you" He asked not able to hide his excitement at hearing his Mothers' voice for the first time not in his nightmares.

"Yes, it's me Harry" The voice of Lily Potter answered full of enough emotion for Harry to know she was chocking back her tears. "Please stay where you are, if you come any closer then there is no going back" She finished clearly saddened at the situation her son had found himself in.

"No going back?" Harry asked confused. "But I'm dead aren't I? There is no going back from death" He stated matter-of-factly.

"You are both dead and alive Harry, you are currently in limbo, the space between both worlds and from here you can go back the way you came or keep walking forwards and move on to the other side" the voice of Lily Potter explained.

At that explanation Harry moved to take another step forward but was once again stopped by the voice of his mother.

"Wait Harry please" Her voice pleaded again. "Let me explain" She finished.

When she saw that her son had stopped again she took a deep breath and began speaking once again.

"Your soul was tainted by an essence of Voldemort from when he attempted to kill you as a baby and when the curse hit you it removed the taint from you. So in effect the killing curse took a life of some form as intended but, you do not have to give up yours. I am not allowed to say any more than that as we are not allowed to interfere with anything from the other side. If I said anymore I would be cast out from this place and we would never be able to see each other again" She said in obvious frustration. "You have the chance to go back" She continued "you can try to stop Voldemort and save your friends and all those you care about or you can walk forward and pass on, it is your choice" she finished with a sigh.

Harry knew there was much more to it than what he was being told.

"What happens if I decide to walk forward and pass on?" He asked in a calm voice that did not reflect his turbulent emotions.

The voice hesitated before sighing. "All I can say it that there will be very dark times on the other side, there a very few who will stand against Voldemort and those few will likely fall" the voice replied. "Like it or not Harry these people look to you as a beacon of hope and without you there will be reluctance to fight".

"But I'm just me, I'm just a boy" he replied frustrated.

"No Harry, you are not just a boy. What you did and how you faced death in the graveyard is what separates you from everyone else. You fought back and even when you knew the end was coming you did not beg or plead for your life as almost all others would. You accepted your fate and showed Voldemort something he had never seen; unwavering bravery in the face of death. The only person who he fears is you Harry. He could not kill you as a baby and now he believes he has succeeded. How do you think he will react knowing you had again survived his attempt at killing you? It will give everyone hope that he can be stopped and I'm sorry Harry but you are that hope as much as you don't want it to be" she explained sadly to her son.

Harry was confused and frustrated.

"Why does it have to be me? Why can't someone else do it just for once? I am ready to die, I want to die, I want it all to be over. How can you ask me to go back now after everything I've had to deal with? Every time things go wrong everyone turn their backs on me then its left to me to deal with it all and then it starts all over again" He finished breathless from his outburst, his eyes welling with tears.

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"I've had enough, I just want it to all be over, so why should I go back and help them only for them to hail me as a hero when it's convenient for them and then be shunned all over again when it's all over? He asked in anger again.

Before the voice of his mother could reply another voice was heard above the whispers.

"Because that is who you are Harry" A deep masculine voice answered. "You don't see yourself as a hero but you simply do what is right. You don't do it for the adoration and approval of others and you don't do it for the fame and glory, you do it because you can, because you know that it is the right thing to do. You are different to the others, you have the courage to fight the fight that they can't and you have the potential to succeed. If worst comes to worst then he will kill you again and you will find yourself back here but we both know that if you step forward now you will never find peace here knowing that you could have been that difference. You are a Potter. We stand against tyranny, we fight the battles that others can't because that's who we are and that's what we do and always have. You can't change who you are Harry; you can't fight what is in your blood. Who do you know that can stand and face Voldemort the way you have and end him? I saw that look in your eyes as you faced him at the end, you wanted to kill him and had you had a wand you would have done everything you could to do it. He killed your parents and condemned you the life that you have had to live, are you really going to let that go and let him do that to countless others? I think not" the voice finished its speech.

Harry stood stock still absorbing the words that had been spoken to him.

In reality he was clinging to a final strand of hope that he wouldn't have to go back but he had unknowingly already resigned himself to it.

"What about Dumbledore?" He asked partly out of desperation. "He is the only one who Voldemort is afraid" He stated.

"Dumbledore is a very old man Harry and he has fought his fight, this is a fight for a younger man. Voldemort does not fear Dumbledore he has simply struggled to defeat him in the past but those times are behind him now. Dumbledore could still hold his own against him but he does not have it in him to finish him magically or morally, he has his reasons but they are his to tell you but Dumbledore will not take a mans' life, no matter how necessary it is the masculine voice replied.

It was then that Harry knew he had to go back. As much as he wanted to walk forward and be done with it all he knew the voice was right. He would not find peace on the other side if he left the others to a horrible fate that he could prevent. He rubbed his eyes in frustration and released a long drawn out breath.

"Who are you?" He asked into the empty vastness. "And how do I get out of the graveyard? As soon as I wake up there surely he will just kill me again?" He questioned the male voice.

The voice chuckled at the questions.

"I'm sure you will know who I am soon enough Harry and you are no longer in the graveyard, you were saved and taken away as soon as the curse hit you, I'm sure right now there is a very worried man watching over you" The voice chuckled again.

Harry couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at the voice. He chose instead to address his mother.

"Mum, what do you think I should do?" He asked.

"You already know what you have to do" She replied her voice full of emotion, knowing that he was going to be leaving again.

Harry simply nodded and swallowed back another lump. He turned to leave and walk back the way he came when the male voice spoke again.

"Remember Harry, fighting for others is all well and good and the right thing to do but never lose sight of your own reasons. You do what you have to to survive and protect those who can't protect themselves. War is war Harry, when someone is trying to kill you or those you care about there can be no hesitation you do whatever is necessary to make sure you and those who stand by your side make it through even if that means taking a life. You will regret losing someone you care about more than you ever will taking the life of someone who will not hesitate to take yours. Know your enemy Harry, know what you are against and know your blood and what it is you fight for. Fight fire with fire, it's the only way you and those you care about will make it through this alive" the voice finished no longer chuckling with amusement.

I will" Harry simply stated now aware of how different things would be. "I will" He whispered to himself before stepping again towards where he came from.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry woke taking in his surroundings. He was in a dark room decorated mostly in ornate oak furniture. There were various paintings on the wall and a thick chocolate rug on the heavy wooden floor in front of a crackling fire that was surrounded with a simple stone placing. He tried to move but found himself quite stiff and his joints protested against his attempts.

The stiffness of his joints aside he felt much better than he had expected. He felt that he was breathing easier than he ever had and that a huge burden had been lifted from him, he felt light and knew that it must be from the taint of Voldemort being removed from him.

He turned his head to take in the rest of the room only to be faced with a pair of sharp, penetrating steel grey eyes that betrayed no emotion.

The man sat beside him in a simple armchair was old, not as old as Dumbledore but fairly advanced in his years nonetheless. He had the look of a man who had seen and been a part of much in his life. He was not heavily scarred nor did he show any wounds but the eyes told the story of a truly hardened man a man who had faced and overcome much adversity in his time.

Harry swallowed nervously and attempted to moisten his dry mouth in an effort to talk through the nervousness he was feeling.

"So you finally decided to wake up Mr Potter" The man stated simply in a neutral voice. "It is about time".

Harry swallowed again at the mans' casual tone. "Who are you?" he managed to ask. "How long was I out?"

The man looked at Harry with a penetrating stare that seemed to see straight into his soul.

"You have been unconscious for 3 days" The man stated. "And as for who I am, my name is Arcturus Orion Black, your great uncle on you fathers side and I believe we have much to discuss and much more to do" he said gravely.

 **A/N**

 **Ok, that's the first chapter done and I know that there is a lot to take in but this was written more to set the scene. There isn't much here that will play a significant part in the story but I felt there needed to be a real beginning to get the ball rolling and to really understand the way things will play out. I will not be focusing heavily on the horcruxes, they will be included but as you will see really soon the part they play is quite minimal and will not be dragged throughout the story. There will be plenty of action as the story develops and in the next couple of chapters too as the story starts to move forward. The next chapter will briefly focus on Dumbledore at the beginning and him announcing to the school what has happened and getting some of the reactions. All of the characters we know and love will be involved but this story is more Harry centric and focuses more on him and his development. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any suggestions and recommendations. This is my first fic so I'm sure I will make mistakes but if you point them out to me I will fix them as best I can. Please review etch it will help me improve my writing and that in turn will make sure you enjoy reading this more.**

 **Thank you,**

 **TBR**


	2. Know Thy Blood

**A/N**

 **Edited so that it is much easier to read. It seems as though I had a habit of not separating the text enough leaving very large blocks that were difficult to take in. No major changes have been made to the story otherwise.**

 **Phew! It's a long one. I would apologise but I really am not sorry, I had fun writing it and I hope you have just as much reading it. I know having Arcturus as a saviour of sorts seems strange to most of you but I'm hoping that this chapter will clear any confusion up. Don't worry I'm not planning on making him some kind of misunderstood saint. He will still be quite the bastard but a lovable one I hope. I haven't seen this type of thing in any fic so I am 99% sure it's original. Please enjoy and as usual favourite, follow and review.**

 **TBS**

 **Chapter 2: Know Thy Blood**

The last 3 days had gleaned very little information for Albus Dumbledore. No matter how often he told himself that Harry was ok he couldn't help but worry deeply for the missing teen. He knew that he was alive at the very least and sure that he was not in the clutches of Tom Riddle, had he been he would surely know by now.

Severus had gotten very little useful information from Crouch Jr who was unaware of what the plan entailed after Harry was transported to the graveyard. He was finally taken into custody by Amelia Bones and nothing had been shared about his fate. Dumbledore was sure that when Fudge became aware of the Azkaban escapee he would use every one of his resources to sweep all existence of the man under the proverbial rug.

A large part of the last few days had been spent both answering and avoiding questions about the fate of both of the Hogwarts champions. It was not that he was unwilling to answer the questions but he wanted to be sure of all the facts before he shared the information he had. He simply wanted to make a solid statement that could not be easily dismissed. He knew the uproar he was going to cause would be quite the spectacle and put himself in a very sensitive position. Again Fudge would do all he could to reassure the public that everything was fine and would resort to character defamation without hesitation to hide the return of the Dark Lord.

Thus Dumbledore had spent part of the last few days putting together his contingency plan. He knew he would lose favour with many people but he knew he had to prepare them as much as they would allow for the inevitable conflict that was on the horizon.

Yes, the last few days had been difficult but Albus Dumbledore had not been idle, in fact he had been at his most busy in many years.

Currently, he was stood at the podium in front of the teachers table at the leaving feast and had the room's undivided attention. There was no need to raise his hands to signal for silence as everyone in the Great Hall had been rather subdued after recent events for whatever personal reasons they had. He let out a long breath before addressing his audience.

"Welcome to the end of year feast" He began neutrally. "I wish we were celebrating what has been overall a successful year. We have had the pleasure of two other schools for the majority of our term here this year and it has been a pleasure to host them. I would like to thank Madame Maxime and the currently absent Headmaster Karkaroff for making the journey here and sharing our grounds and castle with us" He finished clapping towards the foreign students and the remaining staff member eliciting a subdued round of applause from the Hogwarts students and staff alike. "Now I know you have been patient the last few days in regards to the fate of the Hogwarts champions".

His speech was cut off by the students murmuring to each other, so he raised his hands to silence them, to which they obliged.

"Both champions took the cup at the same time so the result was a draw between Mr Diggory and Mr Potter" he informed the room.

The murmuring began briefly again but stopped as quickly as it started all knowing that the headmaster had not finished.

"However both champions upon touching the cup were transported to another location far away from Hogwarts where tragedy struck" he explained sadly.

The students at this point looked both confused and concerned.

"There is no easy way to say this but Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter, as of 3 nights ago, is missing and his current condition is unknown" he finished sadly.

The shock was so much that all failed to react to the use of the Dark Lords name. The reactions in the room were very mixed.

The staff were simply horrified.

The Gryffindor table had expressions of complete and utter disbelief.

The Ravenclaws looked both saddened and contemplative.

The slytherins had the most mixed reactions. Some looked terrified, some completely neutral and others entirely gleeful.

The Hufflepuffs were simply inconsolable. Cedric was popular with all in his house and his loss was felt across its entirety. Aside from the gentle sobbing emanating from some, the room was stone silent.

Very little of the feast was consumed and it was an entirely silent affair, all lost in their own thoughts. The silence continued as they left the hall broken but was broken by a comment from a 6th year hufflepuff student.

"I bet Potter had something to do with it, he probably sacrificed Cedric to save himself and then joined You-Know-Who" He muttered to his friend quietly, but the sound carried to all around in the silent entrance hall.

Everyone froze at his statement, many looking disgusted at his accusation.

Before anyone could reply a blurred figure broke through the crowd and punched the offending boy on the jaw eliciting a sickening crunching sound before he hit the floor.

Standing over him was a murderous looking Neville Longbottom rubbing his already swollen hand.

"You stupid bastard" He roared. "Harrys' parents were murdered by that prick, why the fuck would he join him?" He finished trembling with rage.

"What is the meaning of this Mr Longbottom?" A sharp voice cut across the hall.

Turning to face the voice Neville was faced with the entirety of the staff, many looking surprised at the reaction of the usually passive boy.

He swallowed deeply but stood firm.

"This moron accused Harry of turning Cedric over to Vol-, Voldemort and then joining him Professor McGonagall" He said not wavering under her stern glare.

Her eyes softened slightly but her lips were still tightly pulled together in a thin line.

"Be that as it may we do not resort to Neanderthal measures to demonstrate our distaste at somebody else's opinion. We are civilised people Mr Longbottom, you would do well to remember that" she scolded him. "That will be 20 points from Gryffindor and had this not been our final day here you would be serving a week's detention" She finished.

"And that will be 50 points to Gryffindor" the voice of professor Sprout cut in "For showing great loyalty to a friend and defending a fellow students honour when he was unable to" She continued. "Some members of my own house could do with showing the same loyalty as Mr Longbottom here, and Mr Bradwell?" She said addressing the grounded boy. "You and I will be having a conversation about such a slanderous accusation. That will be 50 points from Hufflepuff". "Mr Potter and Cedric" She choked back a sob at his name, "had become very good friends throughout this year and there is no doubt in my mind that Mr potter would not have done anything intentionally to put Cedric in danger, you would all do well to remember that" She finished before walking away clearly in tears.

All in the entrance hall made their way to their respective common rooms, pondering what they had been told.

Tomorrow they would head home for the summer for some much needed space and time away from the castle. All knew the coming months would change things in their very world and had a lot to digest and think about.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore returned to his office contemplating the reactions of the students to his announcements. He knew that word would reach parents and the general public by morning and the repercussions were likely to be quite dire for him. But he only cared for the truth and he had only given the truth as he knew it.

He was broken from his musings by a gentle tapping on the window. He opened it to a very beautiful black eagle owl with very observant amber eyes. The red envelope snatched his attention away from the regal looking creature and he sighed as he removed it.

"And so it begins" he murmured opening the howler.

He was surprised to not hear the usual screeching that came accompanied with such an envelope but a gentle, strong and dignified voice spoke a little above a regular speaking volume.

"Potter is safe and sound, you have my magical vow", the voice sounded.

Once finished a silver glow surrounded the paper sealing the vow and then burst into flames leaving not even ashes in its wake. The owl flew out of the still open window, its message delivered and job completed.

Dumbledore frowned. He was sure he knew that voice but simply couldn't place it. He was however feeling much more at ease knowing that Harry was in fact safe and had that knowledge sealed in a magical vow.

He sunk into his chair behind his desk, carefully picked out a lemon drop from the ever-present bowl and sucked at it as he continued to ponder the events that were unfolding around him.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry was feeling a mixture of emotions. He was confused, relieved, grateful and nervous at the same time. He hadn't been told anything personally about Arcturus by Sirius but he had said that his whole family were dark and supported Voldemort.

Before he could arrange his thoughts into any form of coherent speech the man next to him spoke.

"I bet you're wondering why I saved you hmm?" Arcturus questioned. "Tell me boy, what do you know of my family?" He asked over steepled fingers, his eyes alive with a gently penetrating stare.

Harry considered his answer before speaking; he did not want to offend the man next to him.

After a moment he decided honesty was best. It was no secret that the Blacks' were considered a dark family by all accounts.

"Sirius told me that you were all dark and supported Voldemort" He said simply flinching slightly at the impassive face that looked back at him.

"Ahh yes, my idiot grandson. I can see why he would say that and he would be correct for the most part" he replied. "Most of my family are supporters of him, hell even I was at one time" He said to a surprised and slightly panicking Harry.

"What changed?" Harry asked nervously.

"The very thing we have been discussing" He answered, "Family" He finished simply.

Harry looked confused but before he could ask the question Arcturus answered.

"The last two wars have all but decimated the Black family" He started. "We have lost many on both sides of the conflicts. Yes, believe it or not some fought for both Grindelwald and Riddle and some fought against them. My older Brother Perseus and my father, both for Grindelwald and both died, my brother in battle and my father murdered because he refused to fund the effort further after his death" He continued. "After that I became disillusioned with the war and the ambitions of Grindelwald. I figured that being a Black meant nothing to him and knew that if he was to succeed our way of life here would change for the worse. So at 17 years old I became the head of the family, a position I was never meant to have nor had I ever wanted it, I had long ago accepted that it was not my destiny" Arcturus explained.

Harry listened with rapt attention to the man.

"My brother was 13 years older than me so I never really knew him he had already left school by the time I was aware of much and had joined Grindelwald" the older man continued. "But I was always told that blood is the most important thing in the world and that stuck with me, even to this day" he added seriously. "I hated Grindelwald for what had happened to Perseus and for what he had done to my father. I wanted revenge".

He laughed a hollow laugh that reminded Harry of Sirius and how he sounded when he spoke of Pettigrew.

"Anyway, I will come back to that part in a moment" He said coming out of some clearly deep thinking. "Needless to say after the Grindelwald years the Black family started to thrive again in the peace. Our numbers were still quite few but our family was growing to what it had once been. That was until the first rise of Tom Riddle" He finished with a distasteful sneer. "Many of my family rallied to his cause and I could see a repeat of the last conflict, only this time it was much closer to home and I knew it would be worse for us so I personally opted to stay neutral, but foolishly allowed the family to make their own choices knowing that if I forbade them there would be an internal conflict I couldn't cope with. Many of the family, my son Pollux namely, had already long since been allied with other dark pureblood families; the Malfoy's and the Lestranges" He spat distastefully "being the more prominent ones and were set to solidify the relationships through marriage. I gave too much freedom to the family and I certainly paid the price for my laxity" He mused almost to himself.

He shook his head.

"After Grindelwald fell I certainly didn't expect another Dark Lord to rise so quickly, certainly not in my lifetime" He continued. "Needless to say, the war once again tore my family apart. My grandson Sirius was the only one who stood against Riddle and all of the others followed him quite fanatically. Pollux died early on in the conflict leaving Druella a widow who has since lived alone in isolation. Narcissa is still married to that prat Lucius and stuck with nothing more than an even more moronic version of him in her offspring. Bellatrix was sent to Azkaban and is still there and Andromeda married a muggleborn and fled the family as soon as she could. My son Orion was weak and simply allowed his wife to run his household to her own ends. The only thing she achieved was causing Sirius to flee the family and Regulus being a fanatic just like her" He said almost to himself once again.

Seeing the confused look on Harrys' face he elaborated.

"Regulus was Sirius' younger brother; he was quite the talented wizard" He said. "We will come back to him later" He finished.

Harry just nodded at the revelation of Sirius's brother and waited for Arcturus to speak again.

"The one loss I truly struggle with was that of my little sister Dorea" He continued suddenly betraying sadness in his eyes. "This is where your part in this comes Mr Potter" He said and was again wearing his impassive mask. "Tell me young Potter, what do you know of your family?" He asked with what appeared to be a little amusement in his eyes.

Harry thought carefully before he answered.

"Not very much sir" He admitted shrugging his shoulders.

He had long since learnt not to ask about his family it was after all a taboo subject in the Dursley home.

"I know my mum was a muggleborn and my Dad was a pureblood" He finished lamely.

Arcturus looked quite annoyed at Harrys' lack of knowledge. He could not believe that the boy knew nothing of his family. Blood was important, had he not been told anything?

"Is that all you know?" He asked stiffly.

"Yes sir" Harry replied. "I was raised by muggles and they hate magic, they told me my parents died in a car crash and no one has ever told me about my Dads family before" He said looking both apologetic and upset.

"Has Dumbledore never said anything" Arcturus asked already knowing the answer.

"No sir" Harry replied quietly.

Arcturus looked even more annoyed, enough to allow a scowl to pass over his mask of neutrality.

"Well then I guess it's time to learn about your blood Mr Potter" He said. "I can't tell you much about your Father, I met him numerous times of course mostly when he was younger and when he and Sirius visited before he fled. And I'm afraid I know very little about your Mother, only that she was a muggleborn but she was a very talented witch by all accounts" He finished.

Harry was hanging on to his every word, no one had ever made any effort to tell him about his parents and until now he hadn't realised just how much he had missed out on.

Arcturus was clearly pondering the best way for him to proceed so Harry remained silent while the older man was thinking. Eventually he stirred from his thoughts and continued.

"I can tell you much more about your Grandparents than I can your parents as I knew them well enough" He said thoughtfully. "Do you know anything about them Potter?" He asked, suspecting he already knew the answer.

"No sir" Harry replied again feeling quite stupid by now.

For a split second Arcturus looked simply murderous before slipping back into his neutrality.

"Ok, then I will tell you everything I know and then you will understand how and why we are where we are now" He stated. "We will start with your Grandmother Dorea" He said with nothing more than pride and fondness in his eyes and voice.

Harry, though emotionally rather obtuse, could see that the woman in question meant very much to the man.

"Dorea was my sister, a year younger than me" Arcturus began again. "She was a very gifted witch and quite different from the rest of the Black women. She was quiet and caring even before my father was killed and after that she became more so, she was particularly protective of me. It was me who took care of her after my father was gone. Actually I think she took care of me more" He added. "She eventually became a healer much to the surprise of everyone besides me. It was just in her nature and I'm very proud of what she became" He finished, his grey eyes sparkling gently in the firelight.

"It was an even bigger surprise to everyone that she married your grandfather Charlus" He continued, looking quite amused. "I've never told the story of how they became married, it's very personal and I'm sure they only shared it with those close to them" He explained. "It is safe to say however, that had my father lived your grandparents would have never been together. The Potters' and the Blacks were always too different and there had never been a union between the families" he stated matter-of-factly.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking himself from his reverie.

"Dorea would have been forced to marry into a darker family against her wishes, so in a way my fathers' death was a blessing in disguise. Dorea was not inclined towards the family politics and any marriage arranged by my father would have been a very unhappy one for her" He said with a slight frown adorning his face.

"Now, your Grandfather was an honourable man, as tough as they came and respected by all. We found ourselves in similar positions, he also having lost his father at a young age; he was killed by Grindelwald personally" he clarified.

'So I have lost more than just my parents to dark lords' Harry thought to himself sadly.

He was pulled from his thoughts again as the man spoke further.

"Charlus was the same age as myself and we went to Hogwarts together, I of course was in Slytherin as expected and he in Gryffindor. I had been told about the Potters growing up and your father certainly did not coincide with what I had been told. He was neither arrogant nor full of himself. He was a very gifted wizard, observant, quiet, very intelligent and extremely formidable with a wand. He learnt the family magic from a young age and simply became a fierce warrior in his own right. At his prime even Dumbledore would have been very reluctant to cross wands with him. That would have been a very interesting battle" he mumbled to himself.

To hear that his own Grandfather was on par with Dumbledore certainly surprised the teen.

"We had very little interaction at school even then the house separation was prevalent but we did share the occasional class and competed against each other in the school duelling competitions and I'm not ashamed to admit he made me look like an amateur and I was certainly no slouch, gifted in my own right" He said shaking his head. "Charlus was not taught to duel he was taught how to fight by his father, there is a big difference" He added. "We weren't friends but we were never at odds, we respected each other very much and for the most part kept our distance. We would share little more than a passing greeting in the corridor. That was until our fifth year" He said frowning again.

He sighed deeply before explaining.

"Dorea was in the year below us and as I said rather quiet, to the point others thought that they could take advantage of her or that she was an easy target" He said shaking his head again with a look of annoyance. "It's probably easier if I show you" He said suddenly coming to a decision. "Elgar" He called loudly.

There was a quiet pop as a reasonably aged house-elf appeared in the room.

"Master called for Elgar?" The Elf asked.

"Yes Elgar, can you bring me the pensieve please" He replied, and with that the elf disappeared with another pop.

"Do you know what a pensieve is Potter" He asked.

"Yes sir" was the answer he received.

"Good" He replied. "That will save me explaining it".

The elf appeared again holding a very ornate stone bowl which he placed on the bedside table before disappearing again having carried out his task.

Arcturus drew his wand and placed it to his temple and removed a silvery strand which he immediately placed in the bowl. Harry stood and joined him and one after the other they plunged face first into the surface.

They appeared in what Harry immediately recognised as the Slytherin common room which looked very similar to the way it had when he had been there during his second year. The room was full of students talking quietly but the older ones were clearly studying in various groups scattered around the room.

Harry saw a much younger looking Arcturus sat at a table by himself surrounded by a vast amount of parchment which he was studying intently.

Suddenly the room became very silent. Harry turned to look towards the door and saw a boy stood in Gryffindor robes with his arms wrapped around a clearly distraught girl wearing the robes of Slytherin.

The boy was tall and fairly well built with the tell-tale messy hair of the Potter males. His eyes were a deep brown and Harry could immediately feel his presence and understood why his Grandfather had been so respected. The fact that he had just walked into the snake pit and none had tried to confront him added to that image.

The girl he had in his arms was very beautiful and regal looking. Her very long and thick black hair was put up in an elaborate fashion and her eyes were similar to her brothers, only a shade or two lighter. She had a petite nose which matched the build of her physique and very soft looking plump lips.

The sudden silence gained the attention of the younger Arcturus who, at seeing his sister in the arms of the Gryffindor, raced across the room looking both angry and concerned.

"What the hell is the meaning of this Potter?" He asked in a no nonsense tone.

Everyone in the room was watching the unfolding events with unwavering interest.

Charlus raised his left hand in a non-threatening manner in an attempt to placate the clearly confused boy.

"Black" He greeted the other boy with a simple nod. "I was walking towards the library when I came across your sister being attacked by 4 7th years from my house. She is ok, I got there in time" He added quickly seeing that Arcturus was about to explode in fury. "She really is fine, just a little shaken and I dealt with the perpetrators personally. I couldn't leave her like this so I brought her back after she told me you'd be here" He finished.

"I'm surprised you didn't join in" A voice muttered from the corner. "You Gryffs are all the same, thinking you can do what you want when you want".

Charlus' eyes suddenly became alight with a very intense fire and he stared in clear fury at the offending boy.

"You would do well to remember Stebbings, that I have never attacked anyone in this castle let alone in this room. In fact I have done nothing but defend anyone who is attacked for no reason and many of them are in this very house. So you will kindly shut up with your stupid opinions when they do not include me" He finished still glaring at the boy, who gulped loudly and remained silent after hearing murmurs of agreement from his fellow housemates.

Charlus turned to look at Dorea who had stopped crying by now and he smiled a reassuringly at her before guiding her to her brother.

"It's OK" He said "Your brother will look after you now" he added handing a reluctant looking Dorea back to her brother who took her in his arms.

Dorea looked at Charlus with a soft, delicate smile. "Thank you Potter" She said quietly.

"It's Charlus to you, my lady" He said with a slight bow and a similar smile before turning his attention to Arcturus.

"Now that your sister is safe I will take my leave" He said. "But first" he drew his wand from his sleeve causing many in the room to mimic his action cautiously. "I Charlus Henry Potter swear on my life and magic that I will not reveal the location of the Slytherin common room nor will I reveal the password used to enter the room, so mote it be" He finished being surrounded by a very bright golden light.

He turned and left leaving a shocked Slytherin house behind him. They had clearly been concerned that the whole of Gryffindor would now know where their common room was and they would have to be much more alert and vigilant.

The memory ended and Harry along with Arcturus, were deposited back into the cosy bedroom they had begun in. Arcturus sat back in his chair lost in thought as Harry sat on the edge of the bed lost in his own. It was Arcturus that finally broke the silence.

"That was the day that I gained the respect I have for your Grandfather now. Not only did he save my sister but he protected the rest of our house with his magical vow" He began again. "It wasn't until a few days after that I learnt that the seventh years who attacked Dorea would spend the next 2 weeks in the hospital wing recovering from what Charlus did to them" He said amused. "Charlus lost his prefect badge and was given detention for the rest of the year, but that didn't faze him, he did what he felt was right as he always did and cared not for the consequences" He concluded, the respect evident in his voice.

"Dorea became enamoured with Charlus and he was very taken with her too. I would often see them exchange looks and the occasional smile but they both knew they could not pursue any form of relationship, neither of our families would allow it so they remained apart. At the time even I would have been hard pushed to approve of them despite how much I loved my sister and respected Charlus. The wizarding community would have been in uproar if a Black and a Potter were to be together, it would have been completely unacceptable" He finished shaking his head in his usual way.

"Anyway" He continued. "The last couple of years at Hogwarts were tense. The threat of Grindelwald separated the houses further the closer the conflict came to our shores. Many supported him, particularly in my house, and many opposed him. It created a conflict within Hogwarts and there were a few quite ugly incidents. Eventually we graduated and all went our own ways to carve out our futures. Charlus went to run the family businesses in his Fathers absence, who was away fighting against Grindelwald and his army and I was training to join the duelling circuit not expecting things to change so quickly and drastically" He said looking thoughtful.

"Dorea was in her final year so I went to America to train. I had been there for 6 months when I received word of my brothers' death and my fathers' murder. I returned home immediately to tend to the family businesses and took up the headship shortly after. I mentioned before that I was angry and I wanted revenge. The family deaths were only truly a small part of why I became so angry, I was angrier that I had to take over the family and put my dream on hold. Duelling was what I was always best at and had always wanted to have that as my career, not having to be responsible for the family. The war had really heated up and the danger of it spilling on to our own land had never been greater. The way of life here was becoming more and more in peril and I knew what would happen to me and my family if Grindelwald was triumphant here. I was angry and worried. I worried for Dorea more than anyone else I knew what those animals would do to her given the chance so I acted rashly and decided I would fight. Dorea begged me not to go but against her wishes I went anyway" He said sadly.

He paused again reflectively.

"The war was fought on two fronts" He continued suddenly. "There was the muggle side and the wizard side. Grindelwald was pulling Hitlers' strings and controlling the muggle side while we fought against the wizarding army he had amassed. I found myself at Normandy where the battle lines had been drawn and attached myself to a group of French freedom fighters. I stayed disguised hoping that if the war went badly I would be able to salvage something in the aftermath" He said unashamedly. "One of the Blacks at some point had been an unspeakable, so I used the robes to hide my face knowing the hood could not be removed by anyone except me. It wasn't long before I saw action and realised my mistake in trying to be anonymous" He said grimacing. "I was completely out of my depth, here let me show you" He said again extracting another memory. "This is my first fight and the day your Grandfather came back into my life" He said fondly and they again entered the pensieve.

Harry found himself in a very muddy field on what appeared to be a fairly clear spring day surrounded by hundreds of men and women all looking grim and tense.

Around 70 metres in front of him was an equally large group all wearing grey robes clearly preparing for battle. Insults were traded between the groups and out of nowhere all hell broke loose.

Harry watched as the hundreds of witches and wizards traded all manner of curses and jinxes and looked on in horror as people were felled hard, some killed instantly and others sporting various types of gruesome wounds, screaming or simply moaning in heaps and piles of entangled bodies.

The ground was quickly littered with entrails and limbs alike and there were many small streams of red and black liquid that formed into one vulgar river of blood and claret that gently disturbed the guts and extremities that were caught in its flow.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Arcturus nod towards a robed man, his face covered who was stood stock still in what appeared to be complete shock.

The robed Arcturus shook himself from his stupor and began firing of curses into the grey masses quickly disposing of 3 individuals with some vile looking curses.

One caused the entrails of one man to exit his body through his mouth.

Another engulfed a man in completely black flames reducing him to nothing more than a pile of ashes.

The final curse simply caused the man rot instantly into what looked like a mummy. Harry fought the urge to vomit at seeing the effects of the curses but still felt very nauseas and uneasy at the sight of so much gore.

"This is war Potter" Arcturus interrupted his attempts at calming his stomach. "Beautiful and glorious apparently" He said bitterly. "There" He said pointing at another man. Harry looked at the man in awe and a fear he had never felt before.

He was frightening and took his opponents down quickly and without hesitation. He removed limbs, broke bones and simply opened wounds so deep that the spell scraping on the bone was audible above the noise of the rest of the battle.

The man in question was covered in blood and looked positively feral. His eyes were alight with power and the force of his spells reflected that power.

It wasn't until Harry really studied the man's face did he realise that it was Charlus; his Grandfather was this frightening individual.

Harry watched as he came closer leaving more corpses in his wake without remorse until he was stood next to Arcturus who had garnered a lot of attention by his anonymous appearance.

They fought side by side, not looking at each other, in a strangely beautiful harmony each other's spells complimenting the other perfectly.

They shielded the other when it was needed and then moved to a back to back position where they continued to fight in their recently established synchronicity.

Harry watched for several minutes as many fell to their combined efforts neither being hit by a spell. He didn't know how long he had been watching when he felt another tap on his shoulder.

Looking up he saw the enraged face of Arcturus who was simply glaring to their left. Harry looked and saw a tall, blond curled haired man stalking towards the pair looking deranged.

"Grindelwald" Arcturus ground out through gritted teeth.

Grindelwald continued on his way towards the two men that were decimating all in front of them. Charlus saw his approach and turned to face him. Harry suddenly felt a wave of apprehension that seemed to reverberate around the entire battlefield.

Many stopped to face the inevitable confrontation and stared with baited breath. Arcturus was still battling two other people and was not aware of what was happening just behind him.

Grindelwald looked at Charlus with a calculating eye sizing him up and Charlus returned his gaze with a glare of pure hatred and fury.

He silently fired a very powerful barrage of curses that clearly took Grindelwald by surprise as they smashed into his hastily erected shield crackling and emitting gong like noises with every hit sending him back several feet.

He fired back with curses of his own only to see them simply batted aside by Charlus who didn't bother raising a shield.

The surprise on his face was clear; it was obvious that this was not a common occurrence. He frowned and suddenly looked furious at the young man who dared make him look foolish.

He fired off more curses which Charlus simply dodged gracefully and batted away again. Harry was simply shocked by the skill and power of his Grandfather and felt a huge rush of pride and respect for the man.

Grindelwald looked towards the back of the still battling Arcturus and smirked. He fired off a chain of spells intended to cause grievous harm towards Arcturus.

Charlus conjured a massive thick granite wall at his comrade's back that crumbled more and more as each spell hit.

He fired back and the two began trading spells dodging and batting away the strays they couldn't avoid.

The frustration Grindelwald was feeling could be seen in his eyes and he quickly changed tact. He fired off a string of spells at Charlus and immediately fired an unfamiliar sickly purple and yellow curse at the exposed back of Arcturus that connected with a sickening crunch followed by a spray of blood.

Arcturus simply screamed and fell to the floor clutching his wound.

Charlus was furious. He hurtled a powerful cutting curse towards Grindelwald who shielded the spell, but not well enough. Some of the spell passed through and opened a deep gash on his left cheek.

The blonde man roared in surprise and agony and with a final look of hatred he disapparated.

Charlus quickly turned his attention to his fallen companion and tried to remove his robes so he could attempt to heal his wound but found he could not take it off.

"I need to remove your robes to get to the wound" He said calmly.

Arcturus hesitated but finally removed his hood and looked up at Charlus, each as surprised as the other.

"Black?" Charlus asked incredulously.

"Potter?" Arcturus returned the question equally surprised.

After a moment Charlus shook himself from his surprise.

"I need to get to the wound" He said simply.

Arcturus nodded and obliged his request by removing the garment revealing several deep wounds exposing the bone of his shoulder blade in various places.

The flesh at the edges of the wounds was black and the blackness was spreading slowly consuming the healthy flesh around it giving the skin the appearance that it was dead and dying.

"How bad is it?" Arcturus asked grimacing in pain.

"It's bad" Charlus replied with worry in his voice. "The flesh on your back is turning black its spreading from the wound" He finished grimly.

"Was the spell purple surrounded by yellow?" Arcturus asked sounding hopeful.

"Yes it was" Charlus retorted "Do you know what it is" He asked in a curious tone.

"Bastard" Acturus muttered under his breath. "Yes, it's a Black family curse, he must have learnt it from my brother. You need to get me to Dorea, she's the only one that can counter it she will be at home it's the Easter holidays" he finished gritting his teeth through the pain.

Charlus hesitated for a second before grabbing Arcturus' left arm.

"Where am I apparating to" he asked.

"Shit" Arcturus replied. "You're not keyed in to our wards and they're quite unpleasant. Can you take me to your place and then you can floo Dorea?" He asked.

"Sure" Charlus answered simply. "Read this" he instructed handing Arcturus a piece of parchment he took from his pocket.

Arcturus took the paper and read: _Potter Manor can be found 10 miles west of the most southern point of Mount Snowdon, wales._

"Fidelius?" he asked, clearly impressed.

Charlus just nodded and with that they disapparated.

The memory faded briefly but soon came back into focus. Harry now found himself stood in a black and white marble entrance hall decorated with thick, opulent oak and leather furniture. The room was lightly painted in neutral colours and ahead of him was a very grand oak staircase with gold bannisters snaking the length on both sides of the stairs.

Charlus was stood in the middle of the hall supporting a very sickly looking Arcturus who was leaning heavily on the other man.

"Maisie" Charlus called in a loud commanding voice. A house-elf appeared immediately in front of the duo.

"Yes Lord Potter" the elf replied unfazed by her masters injured companion.

"Can you fetch the potion kit and take it to the first guest bedroom and then take Mr Black there please?" He asked the elf softly.

"Yes Master Charlus" The elf replied looking fondly at her master before popping away again.

"I need your floo address" He said turning to Arcturus who was beginning to sweat profusely under the effects of the curse.

"Ravens corner" He answered breathily. "The password is purity".

With that he placed Arcturus in the chair in front of the fireplace and took a handful of floo powder from the pot on the mantelpiece. He hesitated momentarily before throwing the powder in and calling out the address followed by the pass phrase.

He stuck his head into the now green flames and looked into a beautifully decorated dining room.

There was a large black polished table with several chairs around it that rested on a thick grey carpet. A beautiful tapestry depicting the Black family tree took up the entirety of the opposite wall. The rest of the walls were a deep, dark green completed with various portraits and silver candle holders.

"Miss Black?" He called loudly into the open room.

After a moment's pause Dorea entered the room looking even more attractive and regal than he remembered.

Her face had matured into something that he had only seen in the most beautiful and sought after works of art. Her features were delicate, aristocratic and her cheeks had a gentle blush that drew attention to her light silver eyes that were simply enchanting. Her figure was as lithe as it had always been but she had filled out in all the areas that completed the picture of a perfect woman.

Charlus's breath hitched in his very lungs at the sight of her. He had fought his attraction to her while at school and even after the amount of time that had passed he found the internal conflict just as difficult, for him it was as though no time had gone by at all.

"Mr Potter?" She asked clearly very surprised at the appearance of the man in her fireplace. "How did you get this address" She questioned attempting to smooth down her form-fitting robes discreetly.

"Your brother is here, he's been hit by one of your family curses and says that you know the counter to it" He said composing himself. "Can you come through?" he asked. "The address is Potter Manor and the pass phrase is pride. I'll send through the parchment so you can bypass the Fidelius charm" He finished exiting the floo and throwing the parchment into the flames.

He turned to see that Arcturus had been taken to the guest room so waited for Dorea to appear. He was very aware of his state of dress and the fact that he was caked in blood. He removed his wand and waved it over himself in attempt to clean as much off as possible. He then cleaned his hands and face and attempted to tame his messy hair.

Dorea appeared shortly afterwards looking concerned and he immediately began to lead her to the room her brother was currently occupying.

"What curse was it he was hit with" She asked in a business-like tone Charlus was unfamiliar with.

"Erm… It was purple and yellow" he answered caught off guard by her unusual demeanour.

She quickened her pace and started to race up the staircase forgetting she had no idea where she was going.

Charlus quickly caught up to her and took her by the arm surprising her at his gentle yet firm grip.

"It's this room here" he said guiding her inside.

The sight they were met with would have been comical if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation.

Maisie was stood on the bed tugging at the duvet that Arcturus had clearly retreated under to escape the onslaught from the clearly determined elf.

"Young Mr Black must be taking the potion" the elf shouted at the quivering form. "It will helps with the pain" she finished.

"Damn elf" was the muffled reply. "If I take that potion it will kill me, I can't take it until the curse has been countered".

"Maisie its ok, Mr Blacks' sister is here now, you can give him the potion after she removes the curse" Charlus said trying to calm the determined elf.

The elf reluctantly stepped away from the covered man and stood patiently at the side of the bed waiting for her turn to heal the patient.

A very dishevelled looking Arcturus emerged from the duvet quite red in the face. Dorea immediately stepped forward and began scolding her older brother shocking both of the men in the room.

"You damned fool Arcturus" She shouted. "I knew this would happen, I told you you would only get hurt running off and fighting like that" She finished breathing heavily.

It was clear to see that Arcturus was suitably reprimanded. The two men shared a look of agreement; that upsetting Dorea Black was not a good idea. She may still be quiet and reserved but she was no longer the nervous 14 year old girl from 3 years ago.

"Show me" she demanded of her brother who obliged her request by turning to show her his wounds.

She sucked in a deep breath and turned to Charlus. "Mr Potter, can you keep him talking?" She asked softly. "This is going to hurt but he needs to be awake while I remove it"

"Of course Miss Black" he answered before making his way to the chair next to the bed. Dorea made her way on the bed and sat behind her brother, drawing her wand and waving it in an intricate pattern over the wounds whispering in what Charlus recognised as a Nordic language.

"So Black" he started, "What the hell were you doing there?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Arcturus stared at Charlus thinking on his answer but the pain he was feeling compelled him to talk and distract him and so he answered honestly.

"Grindelwald ruined my life" he stated simply. "My brother died in his service and then he murdered my father because he refused to continue fund his efforts. Now I'm head of the family, something I never wanted. I was in America when I got the news, I was training to join the duelling circuit" he finished wincing in pain.

Charlus looked at him in what appeared to be sympathy and understanding. He nodded in acknowledgement at the answer.

"It's getting more dangerous" he continued. "The war is now on our doorstep and you know as well as I do what will happen if he succeeds, you know what will become of our families and what they will do to the people here. You've seen more of it than me and you've heard the rumours of what happens to the women" he said looking at Charlus who understood what was being said without hearing the words. He looked towards the unaware Dorea and then back to Arcturus who nodded at his observation. "What about you, why were you there?" he asked. "The last I heard you were running the family businesses while your father was fighting" he said with a questioning tone.

For a brief moment Charlus looked devastated. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them the sadness had passed and in its place was a fierce look of hurt and anger.

"Grindelwald killed my father" he said simply. "He cursed him in the back, the coward didn't even fight him like a man" he finished shaking in rage. "They managed to bring him back home but he had already succumbed to the curse and there was nothing that could be done, he died painfully and slowly" he said after pausing for a few seconds to gather himself.

Arcturus nodded in sympathy. The death of his father had hit him quite hard but he and his father had not shared the same closeness Charlus and his father had. He could see the pain in the mans' eyes and he truly felt for him.

"What about your mother?" he asked in an attempt to draw Charlus away from his clearly dark thoughts and to distract himself from the pain he was feeling.

"She broke down badly after my father died and when she found out I was going to fight she said that she couldn't face losing me too. She went to stay in one of our family homes somewhere in the tropics" he answered. "I can't just sit here and do nothing" he added. "My father fought because he knew it was the right thing to do but I fight for nothing but my revenge for what he has done to me and my mother" he finished his eyes ablaze once again.

Arcturus remained silent waiting for him to continue knowing he needed to vent.

"I will get that bastard" he continued breaking the momentary silence. "If it's the last thing I do I will get him" he spat uncharacteristically.

"I'm finished" Dorea suddenly said breaking the tense atmosphere. "It will take a while to completely heal but the curse is gone" she said placing her wand back up her sleeve.

"Thank you" Arcturus replied gratefully looking exhausted.

"Now take your potion and get some sleep" she advised standing away from the bed. "And don't think for one second that I'm finished with you yet Arcturus, when you're feeling better we will be having a conversation" she added sternly.

Arcturus gulped and nodded knowing that it was not a good idea to argue with his obviously angry sister. He drank his potion and settled deeper into the pillows and sighed in relief.

"Is it ok for him to stay here Mr Potter?" She asked Charlus nervously. "It's not safe for him to travel for a few days until the wounds seal" she explained.

"Its fine Miss Black" he replied. "Your brother is in very capable hands" he said nodding towards the already busy elf.

"Thank you Mr Potter" she said shyly. "I will make sure he doesn't cause you any trouble" she said glaring at her injured brother. "I have to go" she suddenly remarked. "I return to school in a few days and I have a lot to do" she finished looking a little disappointed.

"It's ok" Charlus replied. "I'll escort you back to the fireplace" he said offering his arm which she took with a slightly trembling hand.

They exited the room leaving an already sleeping Arcturus to start his recovery. They made their way slowly back to the drawing room not saying a word, both seemingly content at the small amount of contact they were sharing. All too soon they reached their destination both hesitating to release the touch of the other. When there was no longer an excuse to hold on to his arm Dorea released her grip slowly and clearly with reluctance.

"Thank you again Mr Potter" she said in her usual soft voice. "If you hadn't of gotten him back so fast he wouldn't have survived the night" she explained grimacing at the thought. "Can I come and check on him tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"You're welcome Miss Black" he replied simply. "You can check on him anytime, the floo is open to you" he finished with a gentle smile.

"Thank you" she said simply returning his smile shyly. "Goodnight Mr Potter" she said throwing a handful of floo powder into the fire.

"Goodnight" he said. "And Miss Black?" he asked gaining her attention.

"Yes, Mr Potter" she asked curiously.

"I told you 3 years ago that it's Charlus to you, it always will be" he finished, his eyes twinkling as he smiled a little more.

Dorea blushed and simply nodded before disappearing into the emerald flames.

Harry was suddenly pulled from the memory and found himself once again in the room he was staying in alongside Arcturus who was looking quite melancholy.

"What happened next?" Harry asked timidly.

Arcturus looked at the boy in front of him internally pleased with his curiosity about his grandparents and how they became to be.

"It took me 3 weeks to recover from that curse" he said casually. "Dorea came back every day for the next 3 days before she went back to school and before she left she lectured me and your grandfather" he said shaking his head in amused exasperation. "She knew regardless of what she said that I would go back. I was stubborn and pig-headed, there was nothing that would stop me going back to protect her and get my revenge which I had more reason to get now after he used one of our own curses on me. She took Charlus aside a few times to talk to him but I don't know everything she said but I do know that she begged him not to lose himself because of revenge. He told me many years later that she told him he was a good man and it would be such a shame if he took his revenge and couldn't live with what he had done to get it after the war was over" he concluded looking thoughtful once again. "I'm sure she scolded him the way she did with me on a couple of occasions too" he added amused. "He came back after a conversation with her a few times looking like a child who had been reprimanded. I've never known Charlus to look like that since those times and I'm sure Dorea was the only one who could talk to him that way and get away with it. People respected and feared Charlus too much to even try that tact with him but Dorea didn't care; she knew Charlus would never do anything to hurt her. You can see from that memory that he had quite the soft spot for her even though I'm sure she was unaware of it at the time. She felt something for him too but I think for her she thought that there would never be a chance for them. There was no guarantee that Charlus would come back from the war and even if he did she didn't think that a Potter would be interested in a Black, it was just not a possibility in her eyes. The backlash that Charlus would get from the lighter and neutral families would be astronomical. I know she thought of him though. She would often ask after him in her letters and I would often see him lost in thought during a lull in the battles with the same eyes he had when he was talking to Dorea. He never admitted it, but that look was reserved only for Dorea" he finished.

He paused and went back to thinking for a few minutes before continuing.

"During the 3 weeks it took for me to recover Charlus and I formed a tentative friendship. We found we had a lot in common and we were fighting for similar things. It was the second week that he truly surprised me though" he said extracting another memory and placing it into the pensieve.

"This is a short memory Mr Potter, but one that will give you a little more of an idea of the kind of man your Grandfather was" he said entering the pensieve.

Harry followed suit and found himself back in the bedroom they had left only minutes ago.

The younger Arcturus was in the same bed but looking considerably healthier than he had in the last memory. He was sat reading from a book on duelling when Charlus entered the room.

"Black" he greeted in his usual tone. "If you're going to be coming back with me to fight then these spells will be useful for you to know" he said handing Arcturus a small but fairly thick leather bound book.

Arcturus looked at the book and his eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline at reading the title.

"These are your family spells" he said unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"They are" Charlus replied. "I just need your vow that you will not share this knowledge with anyone or use these spells against any member of the Potter family" he requested.

Arcturus hesitated for only a second before drawing his wand. He knew the Potter spells were designed for battle and it would give him much more of an advantage in open battle.

"I Lord Arcturus Black swear on my life and magic that I will not share the Knowledge of the Potter family magic with anyone nor will I use the spells against any and all members of the Potter family, so mote it be" he vowed being surrounded by a bright golden glow sealing his oath.

Charlus simply nodded and turned to leave when he was cut off by Arcturus.

"Wait Potter" he said. "Elgar" he called and a much younger looking Elgar appeared beside the bed.

"What can Elgar be doing for Lord Black" the elf asked.

"Can you bring me the Black family spell book" he questioned the elf.

The elf looked at Arcturus and then Charlus with confusion but obediently popped away returning a minute later carrying a similar looking book to the one that Charlus had given Arcturus.

"Thank you Elgar that will be all" he said dismissing the elf.

"Here Potter" he said handing the book to Charlus, who was confused but had a look of new found respect for the young man.

"Share and share alike" Arcturus said simply. "This has to stay between us though, I'm sure us sharing our family spells would not be well received" he said seriously. "But this is a dangerous war, what we share could save our lives and I fully intend on coming home when it is all said and done" he finished looking determined.

"Of course" Charlus replied and gave the same oath Arcturus had moments ago. With that they settled down and began to read.

Harry was again pulled from the memory and looked at Arcturus questioningly. "Why would sharing spells be frowned upon?" he asked the older man.

"Family spells are created by the family and are supposed to remain a secret. They can offer you a distinct advantage in certain situations" he explained. "The Potter family magic is largely battle magic used in fights, not for duelling. The spells are designed to maim and kill. The Potters' are famous for having warriors in its lineage and their prowess on the battle field is quite legendary, you saw for yourself what Charlus was capable of and a lot of that was the Potter magic" he explained further.

Harry was surprised to learn that his family had their own magic but was more surprised at the nature of it.

"The Black magic is based mostly on curses it's effective in battle too but focuses more on one to one fighting" Arcturus continued. "We shared our spells knowing that it would give us a whole new advantage. Your grandfather gained a great arsenal of curses and counter curses that would make any wizard envious. I gained the knowledge and spells of the best battle magic available and let me tell you that book gave me spells that saved my life on numerous occasions" he said gravely. "We studied those books intently for the last 2 weeks and practiced each other's spells until we perfected them. For some reason the different magic came easily to us, something we didn't understand at the time. We came to believe much later that we took to the different magic because we had formed a bond on the battlefield when we fought together for the first time. We both saved each other a few times that day. You saw how we fought together and how we shielded each other during the fight. It seems that from then are magic connected in some way and made learning each other's family magic quite easy" He shrugged.

Harry nodded to show that he was still listening and again waited for the older man to finish his thoughts.

"We returned to Normandy when I had fully recovered and immediately Charlus was put in command of a foreign battle group of around 100 wizards and witches" Arcturus continued after a short moment. "He placed me as his second in command for reasons unknown to me and we fought side by side for the next 2 years. In those 2 years we fought together, ate together and slept in cots next to each other often saving each other's lives and bonding in ways that can only be achieved in war. We garnered quite the reputation on the battlefield for being ruthless and even Grindelwald was wary of us. Since the day Charlus got him with that cutting curse he avoided him. He knew that Charlus was not an easy fight and he couldn't afford another blow to his reputation. The war was finally going our way and we were pushing them further and further back and Grindelwald knew eventually he would have to confront our group personally. He did just that in his typically cowardly way" he spat, his voice laced with bitterness and venom.

He took a minute to compose himself and released a deep breath.

"We had finished fighting for another day and we returned back to camp victorious. As we entered the camp Charlus was handed a letter that he read and simply fell to his knees. I tried to ask him what was wrong but I could get nothing from him. Eventually he handed me the letter and the reason for his state was obvious, his mother had died of dragon pox the week before. He was distraught and I didn't know what to do for him. He said nothing and went to bed" he explained sadly.

"I woke up the next day expecting Charlus to have left to handle his Mothers' funeral but he was still there and on the surface he looked as he always did; calm and composed and ready for the day" he continued. "The truth was something had snapped within him. I could see it in his eyes that he wasn't really there his mind was elsewhere and he was acting purely on instinct. We went into battle that day as we usually did and Charlus was even more merciless than I had ever seen him. I'd seen him use the Black spells often but he tended to avoid the darker ones that were designed to give a slow and painful death, but not on this day. He was so focused on punishing as many people as he could curse that his usual battle technique was abandoned. We would always fight side by side but on this day, try as I might I simply could not keep up with him and that's when it happened" he said angrier than Harry had yet to see him.

He took another deep breath and swallowed.

"Grindelwald appeared out of nowhere behind Charlus" he said grimly. "I tried to get to him but I wasn't quick enough" he continued shaking his head with apparent guilt. "Before I could get to him Grindelwald had already fired the curse at Charlus' back and he dropped, I was sure he was dead. The bastard just laughed. I fired curses at him and he vanished like the cowardly shit he was" he continued shaking with fury. "I managed to get to Charlus and was shocked to find him alive. I knew he only had minutes to live so I did all I could and apparated him to St Mungo's where Dorea had started her training to be a healer. We arrived there and I passed out from exhaustion, I wasn't as powerful as Charlus and was already exhausted from the battle, apparating that distance is very draining. I woke up 4 days later to the news that Dumbledore had defeated Grindelwad in the time I had been unconscious. Charlus was still out of it and would be for a few days more. I knew he wouldn't take the news well and stayed with him knowing he would need someone to be there for him. He had just lost his mother and now his chance to avenge his father had been taken away" he explained looking quite upset.

"Dorea was with him the whole time" he continued. "I think if anyone tried to move her away she would have hexed them something rotten" he mused with a bark of laughter. "She was frantic with worry; he shouldn't have survived that curse but somehow he did. He was the toughest bastard I've ever known" He said more to himself. "I was too naïve at the time to see the way she looked at him, but she loved him which I found out days later" he finished. He drew another memory and placed it in the pensieve.

"If you learn anything from this memory let it be to never punish yourself for things you cannot control Potter" he said sternly. "This is your Grandfather at the worst I have seen him" he finished again the sadness flashing across his eyes. He entered the pensieve followed by an apprehensive Harry.

They landed in a hospital ward clearly in the dead of night. Only two of the beds were occupied; one just behind the pair with the curtains drawn and one in front that was occupied by Charlus with Dorea sat in the chair next to the bed.

"You've been awake for 3 days Charlus and not said a word, please talk to me" Dorea pleaded. "Tell me what's on your mind" she begged him.

"It's over" he said simply. "He took everything from me, even my chance to pay him back for what he did to my father, he cursed me from behind the same way and fled like a coward" he spat bitterly.

"Does that really matter?" she asked. "Isn't it enough to know that he's dead now and can't do to anyone else what he did to you?" she questioned him still with a hint of pleading in her voice.

"No it's not enough" He snapped. "I wanted to get the bastard myself for what he did to me and now there's nothing left, what can I do? How can I live with myself knowing I failed at the most important thing I'd ever have to do in my life?" he asked begging her to give him something.

"You find something else that can be that important to you" she said as if it was obvious. "Do you think your mother and father would want you to punish yourself for something you couldn't control?" "Grindelwald feared you Charlus, why do you think he avoided you? You already beat him long ago so you need to let. It. go" she said emphasising every word with a sharp prod in the chest.

"And what if I can't" he asked harshly.

"Then you will always be a bitter man who never got over himself" she answered. "Do you remember what I said to you when you brought Arcturus back to your house after he was injured?" she questioned.

"You said a lot Miss Black" he pointed out.

"Don't be so petulant" She scolded. "I told you not to lose yourself in the pursuit of vengeance, do you remember? I told you you were too good a man to let that happen" she said repeating the words of years gone by.

"I'm not a good man" he whispered. "I'm a failure, how can you even look at me when I can't even face myself without feeling ashamed?" he asked her bitterly.

"Because I love you you idiot" She blurted grabbing hold of his hospital gown tightly. She took a deep breath and continued. "I've loved you since I was fourteen years old, since that day you saved me. I didn't fall in love with you because of that" she added. "I fell in love with you because I saw something special in you that I knew I would never see again. I saw a boy who defended me from his own, a boy who walked right into the enemy's common room and faced all of them down just to make sure that I was ok. I saw a boy who would do the right thing no matter what he had to do to get it done. I saw a boy who didn't care about my name or my family defend me when he could have just walked away and not get involved. I saw a boy that in that moment only cared about me and how I was and didn't care about the consequences. I saw a boy lose all of the privileges he had worked hard for and who served detention for the rest of the year selflessly and never once wanted anything in return. In that boy I saw the man that you would become and I fell in love with you even more" She finished breathing heavily. "I tried not to love you" she continued. "I tried to block it out and wished so hard that those feelings would disappear because I knew I could never have you" she said tears streaming down her face. "The only thing I wished for more was a way that I could have you and that you would return those feelings so we could be together" she finished emotionally exhausted.

They stayed silent for some time Charlus trying to take in what he had heard and Dorea trying to compose herself. She eventually turned to look at him again tears still in her eyes.

"If you really have no other reason to live for but your petty vengeance then you really aren't the man I fell in love with" she said sadly. "The man I fell in love with wouldn't let one setback ruin his life, he would keep fighting for the people who can't fight for themselves as he always did before. If you can't do that then you're clearly not the man I thought you were" she concluded sounding broken hearted. With that she left the room and Harry felt himself pulled from the memory much to his dismay.

Harry sat on the edge of the bed again lost in his own thoughts. He was angry at his Grandfather for his pettiness. Throughout that memory he himself had wanted to shake Charlus by the shoulders and scream for him to snap out of it and to stop being a prat. His thoughts were interrupted by Arcturus.

"I woke up the next morning and Charlus had disappeared" he said. "I was so mad at him, I knew he needed his space to deal with his issues but he broke my sisters' heart, I wanted to tear him limb from limb but try as I might, I couldn't find him" he said sounding very annoyed.

"Dorea was distraught but she hid it well from everyone, but she couldn't hide it from me. I could see it in her eyes how much it hurt her for him to leave like that and it made me even angrier at him. We carried on with our lives, there was little more we could do. Charlus had vanished and no one heard anything from him for a long time. Dorea carried on with her healing training and I went back to duelling as I had always intended. It was six months later that I got a surprise by owl post. I had been made a Baron for my efforts during the war" he said proudly. Seeing the confused look on Harry' face he explained further.

"Being a Baron means a lot more than being a Lord" he began. "Any idiot can be a lord as you can see by most of the morons they have sat on the wizengamot" he said with a sneer. "A lordship is an inherited title passed down to the head of the old families. It gives you a seat on the wizengamot and a single to vote on new laws and so on" he explained. "Being a Baron means that you are a protector of the land and of its people. You are given a seat on the wizengamot and 3 votes. You can only earn the title of Baron with exemplary battle skills and be a proven warrior, it is the greatest honour that can be bestowed on someone in the wizarding world, it's held in higher esteem than an order of Merlin. Charlus and I were to be the first two to receive the title in more than 400 years, it is a very rare honour and to have 2 people in one life time is almost unheard of" he finished the pride evident in his voice.

"I attended the award ceremony expecting to see Charlus but he never showed. The minister at the time was furious and ordered me to track him down. I was still mad at him but Baron or not the minister would have made my life difficult had I disobeyed. It took me 2 months of looking to track him down. I found him in Germany, a complete drunken mess" he said clearly disappointed. He put his wand to his temple and withdrew another memory and Harry knew he was about to be treated to a vision of his grandfather he was unlikely to be proud of.

They entered the pensieve and appeared on a street outside a very rundown looking bar that would appear to be abandoned if not for the dim light that shone through the murky windows. They entered the bar and Harry was not surprised to see that the inside was in no better condition that the outside. He spotted his Grandfather sat at a rickety table in the corner clearly inebriated close to the point of losing consciousness.

"More whisky" he shouted spilling the contents of his already full glass.

"I'm not serving you anything else you drunken swine" the barman replied.

Charlus was furious and drew his wand, pointing it at the barman he spoke in a deadly quiet voice. "You'll give me what I ask for you bastard or I will end you where you stand".

The barman stepped back and the fear in his eyes was obvious. He gulped loudly but he wasn't going to back down. Before he could reply a younger Arcturus appeared and placed a bag of coins in the barman's hand.

"For a room" he said "and to clear his tab" he added jerking a thumb towards the drunken mess that was his friend.

The barman nodded and handed him a key. "Upstairs, second door on the left" he said before walking away quickly.

Arcturus grabbed a heavily protesting Charlus and dragged him to the aforementioned room and threw him on the bed. He drew his wand and aimed a heavy jet of water at his face. When the spell stopped he could see the shocked look on Charlus' face which quickly turned to anger.

"What the fuck are you doing here Black?" he asked, his sopping hair and untamed beard dripping large amounts of water on the bed.

"I was sent to get you" he answered simply. "Oh, and to give you this" he added, punching Charlus with all his might on the jaw.

Charlus grunted in pain and looked up in shock. "You hit me" he said dumbly.

"I did" Arcturus replied "And I think I'm going to do it again" he added looking furious once more.

"Wait" Charlus said holding up his hands. "Why are you hitting me?" he asked confused.

Arcturus looked at him incredulously. "You're asking why I'm hitting you?" he asked rhetorically. "You broke my sisters' heart" he said dangerously. "She loves you you bastard and you walked away from her like she was nothing" he spat.

"She told you?" Charlus asked.

"She hasn't said a word but I was awake the night she opened her heart to you and you just left" he answered shaking his head. "I see it in her eyes every day, she tries to hide it but I know her too well" he finished looking upset.

"She deserves better than me" Charlus mumbled quietly to himself.

"And who the fuck are you to decide what she deserves? It should be her choice who she wants to be with and hers only" he roared.

Charlus laughed bitterly. "And you would approve of me and your sister?" he asked sarcastically.

"You and my sister? Never" he answered. "But my sister and the man I fought side by side for all that time? The man who watched my back as if it was his own? The man my sister spoke of that night in the hospital? That man would have my approval in a heartbeat, without hesitation" he said truthfully. "You're a fucking mess Charlus, pull yourself together and be the man you really are instead of the drunken slob sat in front of me and then you will deserve her". "But right now you don't deserve her, you're weak and a fucking coward" he finished looking at his friend in shame.

Charlus simply looked down at the floor and when he didn't reply Arcturus shook his head and left the room.

Once again Harry was pulled from the memory feeling angry and disappointed in his grandfather.

"What the hell was wrong with him?" he growled "He was pathetic".

"He was" Arcturus replied. "War affects people in different ways but what you saw wasn't war related. That is ultimately what happens to you if you blame yourself for things you have no control over. The guilt consumes you and you become that" he said pointing at the pensieve.

"So what happened next?" he asked. Obviously he came out of it but it can't have been that easy".

"No it wasn't and it was a very close call" Arcturus responded. "I left Germany and went home to inform the minister that I had found him and that he was dealing with some personal issues. He wasn't happy but there was nothing more that could be done".

"I carried on with my life running the family and duelling when time would allow me. It was almost a year after I had last seen Charlus that I received an unexpected owl from Gringotts" he frowned at the memory. "My father had apparently signed a marriage contract with the Selwyn family for any daughter of the Black family they thought suitable and it just so happens that they chose Dorea for their son Marius" he said with disgust.

Harry looked horrified at that but kept quiet waiting for Arcturus to continue.

"There were two ways out of the contract. Firstly, I could forfeit the Black lordship and the contents of the family vaults to them. This was something I was unwilling to do I would not be the one to dishonour the family name that way. The family would become a disgrace and I refused to allow that to happen. I was proud to be a Black and was raised to hold those values until death" he said defiantly. "Secondly I could duel to void the contract but it would be against a champion of their choice. The Selwyn's' themselves were excellent duellists and I knew if it wasn't a Selwyn then their champion would be extraordinary. This was the more viable option but there was a problem. I had only 3 days to do one or the other to void the contract or the wedding would go ahead. The real problem was that I had been injured the day before in a duel and my wand arm was literally in pieces, skele-gro wasn't what it is now and would take a week to heal. But I decided I would fight with my off arm, my pride would not allow me to back down, so I sent off the owl with my request" he finished.

"This is what happened the day of the duel" he said after a moment drawing another memory with his wand and placing it in the pensieve.

They entered the memory and Harry found himself in what appeared to be a small qudditch stadium filled to capacity with around 3000 witches and wizards in attendance to watch the duel.

"This was the venue the Selwyns' chose" Arcturus said from his right. "Duels like this were done publically often" he explained. "Especially duels of this magnitude, it was very rare that anyone was willing to duel a Black" he said knowingly. "I knew they were up to something. They wouldn't have accepted a duel with me if they didn't have a plan they truly believed would work" he finished.

Harry took in his surroundings. In front of him was a large area marked out where the duel would take place. To his right he could see the younger Arcturus with a heavily bandaged arm placed in a sling looking nervous.

Next to Arcturus was Dorea who looked nothing short of terrified surrounded by what appeared to be the entirety of the Black family. The Selwyns were stood on the other side of the marked area looking very smug. Harry immediately disliked them all simply by how much they reminded him of the Malfoys. Harry could see Dorea and the younger Arcturus whispering furiously so he moved closer so he could listen.

"Please don't do this Arcturus" Dorea begged. "I'll marry their son you don't have to fight" she said in tears.

"Yes I do" was his simple reply. "If I don't then everyone will think they can treat us like this and I won't stand for it" he whispered back furiously. "Just let me handle it Dorea it will be ok" he finished turning away from her to face the Selwyns.

Seeing that Arcturus was ready the head of the Selwyn family stepped forward and raised his wand to his throat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, today you will bear witness to the embarrassment and humiliation of the Black family" he began gleefully. "A contract between our families was signed and that contract stated that we would be given any choice of any unmarried Black female of our choice. We made our choice and that dishonourable family" he said pointing at the Blacks "have gone back on the word of their former head of house" he finished eliciting a mass of jeering from the crowd. "He had a choice and could have simply forfeited the family title and wealth to me and my family but he chose to take the approach that would force my family to use violence, something we did not want" he said shaking his head in mock disgust. "However, it will not be a member of my family fighting this man today; I would not risk my blood against their dark magic, so I have found a willing champion who will fight for my family honour and the right to the stated marriage in the contract" He said bowing to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you, representing the Selwyn family, the undefeated warrior, Hans Gaulitier" he finished with a flourish.

The crowd was in what appeared to be stunned silence and Harry looked at Arcturus questioningly.

"Gaulitier was Grindelwalds right hand man during the war and escaped justice through bribery and corruption" he said bitterly. "He was a disgusting pig, famous for his brutality and sickening perverse tendencies. Rape, murder and torture were his forte and that was before he aligned himself with Grindelwald. He was feared across the continent and the Selwyns' would have had to pay him a fortune for him to fight for them. Brutality, no matter how disgusting, at that level does not come cheap" He said with a grimace. "Using him became the Selwyns' down fall, they had exposed themselves as a dark family and have not recovered since" he stated.

A giant of a man entered the stadium into pure silence but he seemed not to notice the crowd any way. He looked as though he was taking a leisurely stroll not going into battle. He was as almost as big as Hagrid but with less hair and very ugly to boot.

He wore nothing on his top half but wore brown trousers with charcoal boots on his feet. He was very well built with well-conditioned, defined muscles.

He had various scars on his torso and face and his head was completely hairless and shaped like an egg. He looked like a simple brute but his eyes had intelligence to them that Harry did not expect to see, even he knew in his very limited experience that he would be a formidable opponent.

By now Dorea was beside herself and inconsolable. The rest of the Blacks looked a mixture of horrified and nervous. Arcturus stepped forward looking apprehensive but also determined, he knew there was no backing down now. Upon seeing his arm in a sling the brute of a man laughed and turned to the Selwyns'.

"What's this" he questioned them clearly annoyed. "You promised me a real fight and yet you hand me a cripple" he stated.

"You're quite right" the head of the Selwyn family said amused and laughed a pompous chuckle. "It would not be fair for you to fight a cripple" he mused.

"Black" he called in an amplified voice. "My champion is unwilling to fight a cripple can you offer an alternative" he laughed again.

He offered the Blacks the chance to have someone fight for them knowing they were very unpopular in the wizarding community despite Arcturus being a Baron, a title that many thought he had bought or obtained through dubious dealings with high up people. He laughed again knowing no one would willingly fight his champion for all the money in Gringotts. He turned and addressed the crowd in a confident and cocky manner.

"Is there anyone who will fight for the cripple and his dishonourable family?" he asked the crowd mockingly. Silence followed his question. "Surely there's someone with a death wish out there, you may even earn a favour from the Black family" he finished jokingly.

Many in the crowd laughed at his quip and then began to talk amongst themselves. Arcturus growled at Selwyn and his antics furious that the man was treating the situation so light-heartedly.

"I'll fight for them" an amplified voice suddenly broke through the murmurings of the crowd.

Selwyn looked momentarily shocked before smirking and addressing the crowd again.

"Ahh we have a corpse, I mean volunteer" he mock corrected. "Well then step forward my brave fellow and make yourself known" he finished with a flourish.

A section of the crowd parted to reveal a very intense looking Charlus Potter.

Harry gasped at the difference in the man. He had packed on several pounds of muscle and the fire in his eyes was ferocious even more so than he had seen it before. His hair was still messy but had been cut short and he was clean-shaven, no longer looking like a drunken mess.

The crowd was shocked in to silence both by someone being foolish enough to volunteer and by the fact that it was a Potter stepping in to defend a Black.

Arcturus was simply stunned. He had not seen Charlus in a year and clearly he had been very busy. He watched as Charlus approached looking every part the man he knew he should be.

Dorea looked torn. She was a mixture, of happiness, her eyes alight with the love she still felt for him but her face was a mask of anger. She sat completely still not being able to decide between pummelling him and jumping in his arms.

The rest of the Black family looked shocked and confused. They were unaware that a friendship existed between Arcturus and Charlus and simply could not understand why a Potter would fight for their family when they had always somewhat been at odds.

"Baron Black" Charlus acknowledged his old friend.

"Baron Potter" Acturus returned the formal greeting. "What are you doing Charlus?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fighting for those that can't fight for themselves as I always have" he said nodding towards his injured arm. "And I'm watching your back as if it was my own" he added replaying Arcturus' own words back to him.

Arcturus shook his head. "You don't have to do this" he said "this is a family duel and you're committing social and political suicide by siding with us" he finished.

"Of course I have to do it" Charlus remarked "we always went into battle together why should we break tradition now?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

Arcturus shook his head again still in disbelief at the presence of Charlus.

"Well good luck Charlus" he said extending his hand which his friend took. "If that bastard doesn't kill you my sister looks like she wants to give it a try" he added in amusement, nodding over Charlus shoulder towards his now shaking sister.

Charlus gulped and pulled Arcturus closer. "Is it strange that I'm more frightened of her than that big pile of shit back there?" he asked only half joking.

Arcturus let out a bark of laughter. "No" he replied shaking his head "That means you've got your priorities about right" he said chuckling.

Charlus smirked at his friend before turning to face his foe, the amusement in his face being replaced by a determined look and his eyes now alight with power.

The joviality of the Selwyn family had well and truly finished when Charlus appeared, they all now looked concerned an angry. Selwyn Sr in particular was beside himself.

"What the fuck concern is this of yours Potter?" he spat venomously.

Charlus sent him a death glare that had the other man recoiling.

"Well Selwyn I have reasons which I will not share with you. Other than those, when you bring a murdering rapist and vile creature like that" he said pointing at Gaulitier "into our country then it's my duty as a Baron to deal with it is it not?" he asked glowering at the colossal man.

Gaulitier was furious. No one dared mock him the way Potter was. He had heard of Potter and knew he was in for a real fight if his skill was on par with only half of what his reputation was. He was silently fuming now, waiting for what could be the fight of his life. He was both nervous and excited, the feeling before a worthy battle, a feeling he was no longer familiar with.

Charlus turned back to a nervous looking Selwyn. "Rules?" he asked casually.

Before Selwyn could reply Gaulitier screamed. "There are no rules here Potter".

He charged forward attempting to tackle Charlus to the ground. He simply side stepped the behemoth and as he landed on his front in the dirt he threw a cutting curse and a stinging hex that connect on his rear end. The man roared in pain and fury and was on his feet again in the blink of an eye.

The younger Arcturus on the side-lines face-palmed, shaking his head in his hand an action mimicked by the older one stood next to Harry who was shocked.

"Why would he use a stinging hex?" he asked confused.

"An angry opponent makes mistakes" was Arcturus' simple reply.

Harry turned back towards the action and was simply amazed at what he was seeing. The giant man had drawn his wand and was firing completely devastating curses and jinxes towards Charlus who was simply dodging and twirling with the grace of a ballerina to avoid them. Try as he might the man just could not hit Charlus and it only infuriated him more.

Charlus began to fire back while still maintaining his dodging and footwork. It was spectacular to see. The speed and the power of his spells was magnificent and Harry was completely amazed by his Grandfather.

He landed two bone breaker curses on the giants off arm that resounded with loud enough cracks to be heard throughout the entirety of the stadium.

The man screamed in pain as the broken bones punctured the skin for all to see. His own rhythm was only interrupted for a brief second at this set back before he was back at his own powerful spell casting, still failing to hit his faster and magically more powerful opponent.

He suddenly stopped his casting and focused his power before whipping his arm upwards in a vertical. Stone spikes began to erupt from the ground in an attempt to impale Charlus, who simply looked amused.

He levitated himself wandlessly above the battleground to the surprise of the crowd. He swept his wand across the field and the spikes crumbled to a fine dust which he gathered up with a gust of wind from his wand.

He twirled it in a semi-circle repeatedly and the debris of the conjured spikes formed a tornado that Charlus sent towards his foe while lowering himself to the ground.

Upon landing he switched control of the tornado to his wandless hand and fired a thick jet black fog into the twister from his wand. The tornado wrapped itself around the huge man who began to look concerned.

Charlus then conjured an equally black stream of fire that he sent into the swirling vortex also followed by a wave of green fire. The two flames snaked into the wind remaining separate but flowing in tandem with one another.

The effect was as beautiful as it was dangerous. With a flick of his wand the twister imploded and cascaded to the ground as though it was water.

What was left behind was quite the gruesome sight. Gaulitier was covered in blackened seared flesh that was smoking and giving off a sweet sickly smell that filled the stadium.

The crowd had expected to see a duel but what they were witnessing was a real fight. Amongst the shocked faces the sound of vomiting could be heard and many covered their ears from the screaming that was coming from the still smoking man.

The Blacks were looking at Arcturus questioningly knowing that the black flame and the fog were family spells. Arcturus simply shrugged his shoulders at their looks and turned once more to face the battle.

Charlus stood just glaring at the man looking as dangerous as Harry had ever seen him. This was why he was respected and this was why he was feared with a wand. He was terrifying but at the same time, knowing he was a good man was equally comforting. He was not dark or evil but did what was necessary to survive and to protect those around them.

It was at this moment that he knew who the voice belonged to who spoke alongside his Mother after he had been hit by Riddles killing curse; it was Charlus, it was his Grandfather who had told him what he was and what he should do to ensure he survived. It made sense to him now, seeing what Charlus had been through and what he had done. It was justice and to him it was necessary.

Harry knew if he was to survive let alone without too much pain then he had to be like Charlus, he had to do what was necessary to survive and protect those he cared for.

Gaulitier suddenly launched a blasting curse towards Charlus that was too large to dodge as he had been, so he quickly raised a shield that didn't quite manage to absorb the whole of the spell. He was blown off his feet from the force of the magic and landed on his back with a loud thud followed by a crack.

The crowd gasped thinking that he had been bested but as soon as he landed he rolled and nimbly sprung back to his feet though he was breathing heavily.

He was clutching his ribs in pain and quickly pointed his wand at his torso and muttered a spell. A loud crunch was heard as his ribs returned to their correct place. He conjured a bandage that tightly wound itself around his torso as he grimaced and gritted his teeth in pain.

He looked furious and his hair and clothes began to ripple in the magic that was escaping him.

He stalked towards a now standing Gaulitier batting the spells aside that the German was firing at him. He conjured a bright ball of light and with a flick of his wand he sent it towards his opponents face. Gaulitier shielded, attempting to block the unknown ball of light but to no avail, the ball simply penetrated the shield as though it wasn't there.

The bright light stung his eyes but that was it all seemed to do. In his temporarily blinded state he did not see Charlus conjure two silver arrows and banish them towards him.

As his eyes began to clear he felt the pain in his knees as the arrows entered through the front and exited through the back. He suddenly found himself wandless as a bone exploding hex hit his hand sending his means to defend himself some feet away, he knew he was beaten.

After he saw his hex hit the mans' hand and he knew he was no longer armed, he paused contemplating what he should do next. He came to a decision and fired off his curse of choice; a castration hex.

The German screamed in pain as the hex connected and he felt the blood seep from the gaping wound in what was left of masculine appendage. Before he could mourn for his loss he found himself bound by his arms and legs by a thick black wire adorned with spikes that cut deeply into his already burnt flesh. He whimpered in pain unable to talk. He chanced a look at Potter and saw that he was walking away. He breathed a sigh of relief that he had been left alive but soon found himself wondering if he would better off dead.

Harry was again feeling nauseas at the sight of so much gore and couldn't help but think that his Grandfather had perhaps gone too far. Arcturus seemed to read his thoughts and cut his thoughts short.

"Charlus lived by his own code of morals. Gaulitier raped, murdered and tortured hundreds of defenceless wizards, witches and muggles for fun and what Charlus did was give what he thought was suitable justice" he said firmly. "Everyone knew what Gaulitier had done and he somehow escaped justice and Charlus was a just man, he did what was right in his own mind. He didn't kill him but he took away his ability to cause the same harm to others that he had before and let him know what it was like to feel the kind of pain he had inflicted on others. It taught him a lesson in a brutal way and it worked, after this day Gaulitier was never heard from again" he finished his eyes boring into Harrys'.

Harry nodded knowing that the older man was speaking the truth. Charlus was simply doing what he felt was right, he clearly did not enjoy it but he did it out of necessity. He turned again to see Charlus approaching Arcturus again but before he could get there he was cut off by a shaking and teary-eyed Dorea.

"Charlus Potter" She hissed, staring at him through narrowed.

"Hello Miss Black" he replied, nervously dragging his hand through his hair.

"Hello Miss Black?" she asked folding her arms across her chest and raising a single eyebrow. "That's all you have to say after all this time, after I opened my heart to you, spilled my deepest feelings for you and you left, that's all you have to say" she screamed at him.

By now the entire crowd was watching the surprising encore.

"I'm Sorry" he said quietly.

"Oh, you're sorry are you?" she asked rhetorically walking forward and backing Charlus up with repeated sharp pokes to the chest. "And what exactly are you sorry for?" she enquired further.

"Everything" he replied. "I'm sorry for leaving and I'm sorry for hurting you. More than anything I'm sorry for losing myself the way I did after you asked me not to and becoming what I did" he said sincerely looking her in the eyes. "My biggest regret though is not taking you in my arms that night in the hospital and telling you that I love you too with all my heart and that I always have, since that day in your common room when you looked at me as though you didn't want to leave my arms" he finished taking her hands in his.

"I didn't want to" she whispered. "It felt so right being there" she continued more to herself than to anyone else. "What brought you back?" she asked.

"The love of a beautiful woman and the words of a brother" he answered, nodding towards Arcturus. "And a good punch to snap me out of it he added" looking quite embarrassed.

Dorea looked sharply at her brother who looked sheepish under her glare before she turned back to Charlus.

"What if it's too late?" "What if I can't forgive you?" "And what if it's not what I want anymore?" she asked, looking at him intently.

Charlus took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before answering. "Then I will have to accept that, but I will never stop trying to be the man you deserve, I made that mistake once and I won't let that happen again" he said. "If my mistake has already cost me you then so be it" he shrugged. "I have to live with that but it won't stop me from loving you" he finished his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

Dorea was openly crying not able to keep her tears at bay any longer. "Why did you fight today?" she asked. "Did you fight for me?" she questioned further.

He swallowed deeply before answering. "No" he answered. "I didn't fight for you, I was hoping I still had your heart and that giving you mine would be enough" he said. "I fought for your brother because it was the right thing to do. I fought for a friend and a brother of mine seeing that he wasn't able to to the best of his ability" he said motioning to Arcturus' arm. "I fought in the hope that had our roles been reversed he would still fight for me the way we always fought for each other" he added with a hopeful look towards his friend who simply nodded in reply.

"You really mean that?" Dorea asked neutrally.

Charlus nodded in reply maintaining eye contact with the woman who held his happiness in her hands. In a blur she had thrown herself in his arms and began to sob uncontrollably. A shocked Charlus hesitated only a moment before wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her hair and holding on as though he would never let go.

"That's the man I fell in love with" she mumbled into his chest.

There was no cheering from the crowd. They were shocked into silence by the sight of a Black in the arms of a Potter. Never had any in attendance ever even considered they would see such a sight.

The Blacks were equally shocked at the sudden turn of events. They looked at each other dumbfounded not able to form a coherent sentence between them. One of them managed to find her voice finally breaking the silence.

"Would someone care to explain just what is going on?" She demanded.

"It's ok Cassie" he replied "I'll explain everything later" he told his older sister firmly, not wanting to discuss it in such a public forum.

"You're ok with this?" She asked him quietly.

Arcturus looked at her calculatingly before replying. "Yes" he answered shortly. "Can you think of a better man for her" he asked nodding towards Dorea.

"Dorea?" She called to her sister who extracted herself from Charlus' chest smiling contentedly. "You love him?" She asked.

Dorea looked up at Charlus, then back to her sister and nodded. "I do" she said quietly. Cassiopeia looked at the other members of her family and just shrugged in acceptance.

"I told you all that I won't pick your spouses for you or sign any contracts" Acturus said. "I meant that, and if Dorea chooses to be with Charlus then that's her choice and we will all accept that" he said firmly. "He has my approval. I can think of no other man I would trust with Dorea. He fought for us today because it was the right thing to do and he has fought with me hundreds of times before. He shared his family magic with me willingly so I would be a better fighter and we have saved each other's live countless times over the years" he finished.

"You showed him our family magic didn't you?" Cassiopeia asked. "That's where he learnt those spells" she stated.

"Yes I did" Acturus answered unashamedly. "We shared our magic. It was war and we took every advantage we could" he said standing firm under the glare of some of his family members.

"And you trust him?" She hissed the question at her brother.

"With my life" came the reply, "As I have on countless occasions". "And besides, we both gave magical vows that we would not share the knowledge with anyone or use family magic against each other or family" he said casually.

"You gave a vow not to use your family magic against each other or each other's families?" Cassiopeia asked incredulously.

"We did" Acturus answered.

"Wait a minute" Charlus cut in looking annoyed. "That's why you punched me isn't it?" he asked. "You couldn't hex me so you hit me like a common thug" he added, frowning.

"You deserved it" was the simple reply he received.

Charlus just shrugged in reply.

The back and forth between the two was cut short when they were interrupted by the sound of a cough coming from the gathered Black family members.

Charlus turned to see a woman standing amongst them who clearly was not one of them. She had dark brown hair and hazel eyes with pale skin. She was delicate looking and quite beautiful in her own right. She was fairly short and petite with a look of intelligence and she was smiling softly. Arcturus took her hand drawing her closer before addressing Charlus.

"This" he said motioning to the woman "Is my fiancé, Melania" he finished introducing her.

"Baron Potter" she greeted him with a slight curtsey. "I've heard a lot about you" she said looking up at the man.

"Ahh well you shouldn't believe anything he tells you" he said pointing at Arcturus. "He's reckless and you can't believe a reckless man" he explained eliciting a huff from the other man.

"I am not reckless" he retorted.

"Yes you are" Dorea cut in.

Arcturus just frowned at his sister.

Melania laughed before addressing Charlus again. "I assure you Baron Potter I have heard only good things about you from him" she said smiling gently.

"Then he is the most honest man I know and you should believe everything he's told you" he replied gaining a laugh from both women.

"When did this whole thing become about me?" Arcturus asked petulantly.

Charlus laughed at his friend.

"Don't worry Arcturus" Dorea consoled him "I haven't even started with Potter yet. Don't think you're off the hook" She finished looking sternly at the now horrified man.

It was Arcturus' turn to be amused by his friends' expression. "Baron Charlus Potter" he mocked. "Will fight any man with a wand, scared of my sister" he finished looking gleeful.

"I don't know why you're laughing Arcturus Black" Melania said glaring at the man. "Do you really think you're off the hook for putting me through what you have the last three days?" she asked in a scolding fashion. "Thinking about fighting that brute with your off hand" she added shaking her head and linking arms with Dorea. "You really are a reckless prat" she finished leading Dorea away from the two, now very cowed men.

The two men shared a knowing look before Arcturus broke the silence.

"Do you really think you can handle my sister?" he asked only half-jokingly.

"Do you really think you can handle your fiancé?" Charlus retorted.

Both men shrugged.

"We can still hear you" a feminine voiced carried to them from somewhere ahead.

They both cringed and hurried to catch up to the departing women.

They were pulled from the memory and Harry once again felt proud of his Grandfather and what he had done.

"Do you have other memories of them" he asked keen to see more.

The older man looked at the teen for some time before answering.

"I have hundreds of memories of them but it is mostly day to day stuff. We can look at more later" he said, placating the boy who looked disappointed. "I simply wanted you to understand where you come from and the kind of man your grandfather was".

"What happened to them?" Harry asked tentatively. "How did they die?".

Arcturus looked sad and stayed silent for several minutes before answering. "Dorea was a healer as you know. Just before you were born there was a wizard flu pandemic and she caught the illness badly" he sighed. "She recovered from it fairly well but she was severely weakened by it. She stayed alive long enough to see you born and lived to hold you as she wanted to. She died a few months after you were born" he said sadly, suddenly looking very old.

He paused to compose himself.

"Charlus lived for Dorea and when she passed he was never the same. He stopped taking care of himself and deteriorated. This was when Riddle was becoming a real problem. Everyone knew of Charlus and his prowess with a wand and Riddle knew he would never convince him to work with him so he tried to take him out" he said looking angry.

Harry looked nothing short of murderous. He felt his magic responding to his anger and he wanted nothing more than to curse Riddle into oblivion.

Arcturus saw the look and was again reminded of his friend.

"He tried to attack Charlus but Charlus, even though he wasn't the same man he had been, fended him off but not before being hit with a slow acting curse that stopped the blood circulating properly" he said shaking his head. "Charlus knew about the curse but he didn't see any reason to get it healed. I'm sure he was content to pass on and be with Dorea again. Though I know if he knew what would happen to your father and mother he would have done everything he could to stop Riddle" he said looking sad again.

"Why couldn't my Dad fight like him?" Harry asked quietly. "I've heard their last moments and my Dad didn't last 2 minutes against Riddle" he concluded with a lump in his throat.

Arcturus looked at the boy with something akin to horror but quickly composed himself before answering.

"They were different men born in different eras. Charlus was born into a war and James was born in a time of peace. I think Charlus wanted his son to have a normal childhood and not be raised the way he was. Had he known what was coming it would have been different. Riddle was just a whisper in the distance until James was in his fifth year and even then none of us expected him to become the problem he did" he explained. "James was much more like Dorea than he was Charlus. He was not raised to be a fighter and Dorea doted on him and was his biggest influence. Don't get me wrong your father was a gifted wizard by what I saw and heard but he and that idiot Grandson of mine spent their time joking around. If they put half the effort into the type of training I and Charlus had instead of their games then I have no doubt they would have both been extremely formidable in battle. Whatever you do don't hold what happened to your parents against them there was little to do to prevent it. Once Riddle has an idea it's near impossible to stop him he is persistent. Use it Potter, use what happened to your family to push you to succeed" he finished.

"What can I do?" Harry asked lamely.

"You fight. You fight for all you're worth and with everything you have. Fight for the memory of your family and fight for your life and your future. Fight the way your Grandfather did. I believe everyone should be their own man but if you aspire to be anyone or want someone to look up to then look no further than your grandfather, you couldn't find a better role model. He was the best man I knew and ever will know. I see him in you Potter. You're like him more than you know. Honour him, your grandmother and your parents the way they deserve. Do not die for nothing but if you have to die you die facing your foes on your feet, looking them in the eyes, never on your knees. Riddle saw your Grandfather in you that night and he knows what you can be capable of if you want to be" he finished sternly.

"But how can I be like him, how can I learn that kind of magic" he asked pleadingly.

"By training" Arcturus replied simply.

He opened the draw on the bedside table and pulling out a weathered thick, leather bound book and handed it to Harry.

"This is one of only two copies of this book. It contains both the Black and Potter magic. Charlus and I created them many years ago and added to them throughout the years. Whatever is written in one will appear in the other and they are charmed so that only we, or a combination of both Potter and Black blood can open them" he said proudly. "Read it, learn it and practice it, it's all the magic you will ever need to win a fight" he concluded confidently.

Harry looked at the book in complete awe.

"Thank you" he whispered gratefully.

"You're welcome" Arcturus replied, pleased to see the boy appreciated the book so much. "Now, its time we got some sleep we are going to be very busy from now on" he said making his way to the door.

"Was there anything my Grandfather wasn't good at" Harry asked unexpectedly.

Arcturus smirked at the question. "Potions" he replied. "He could do mind-blowing things with a wand but put him in front of a cauldron it was likely to explode or melt" he said shaking his head. "Dorea never let him forget his ineptitude with potions" he said amused as he left the room.

Harry looked at the book Arcturus had given him in amazement and anticipation. He gently stroked the front cover with his finger tip only to snatch it away after a sharp pain caught him by surprise. He sucked his bleeding finger as the book glowed gold before opening on his lap. He was too awake to sleep. He needed time to absorb and digest everything he had heard and seen of his family so settled down and began to read.

 **A/N**

 **Don't worry Arcturus is not going to be a particularly nice guy as you will see. He will be tearing people new arseholes before you know it. Harry reminds him of his grandfather so I'm sure you can forgive a little pleasantry in honour of sentimentality. Not all chapters will be this long but I wanted to get this out in one. It's important for Harrys' development. We will be catching up with many other characters in the next chapter and the whole story will not be this slow it will pick up in the next few chapters. I won't give away what's coming but needless to say there will be a fair amount of action.**

 **Suggestions for pairings? NOT CANON, it's not happening. I have my own ideas but want to hear yours.**

 **Thanks guys and please rate, review and follow etch.**

 **TBR**


	3. Embrace Who You Are

**A/N**

 **Edited in the usual way. No major changes but made hopefully more readable with more breaks in the larger pieces of text.**

 **Firstly I would like to apologise if there are any gaps or minor discrepancies in the last chapter, I was fairly sick while writing and have been all week but I will go back and clear up any issues. The story will move quicker now and this chapter will finally catch up with some of the other characters yet to make an appearance. As usual please enjoy and rate, review and follow.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 3: Embrace What You Are

The past few days had contained a multitude of emotions for Sirius Black. He had been; proud, worried, angry, anxious and fearful. His usual easy going demeanour had been discarded and he had been short tempered and irritable, overall he felt useless. He was currently waiting for the first meeting of the order of the phoenix to begin and was sat tapping the top of the kitchen table with his forefinger impatiently.

He glanced at the members and couldn't help but feel disappointed at what Dumbledore had managed to bring to the cause. On his left sat Remus Lupin who was in a similar mood to himself. He had been silent for the most part but occasionally his eyes would become canine like and turn a dangerous amber colour and he would grit his teeth in frustration and apprehension.

Next along were Molly and Arthur Weasley with their son Bill. Molly appeared to be constantly on the verge of tears and her husband had an ever-present arm around her shoulders in an effort to calm her worry.

Bill was quiet, observant and Sirius could see he was like neither of his parents and could maybe be a good ally to have on side, particularly as he worked alongside the Goblins and was a very skilled cursebreaker.

Next to Bill was Kingsley Shacklebolt, a large soft-featured dark skinned man who was a very accomplished auror, his presence made sense to Sirius; he was someone who could fight.

Next was his cousin Nymphadora Tonks whom he hadn't seen since she was a small child. She seemed nervous to be there and would often shoot him a shy smile that he would return as best he could.

The man next to her made the most sense to him, Mad-eye Moody. He was a very decorated auror and was a real asset in the last war. He was not a man to be crossed and had no qualms about hurting or killing those who threatened him in any way.

Sirius was wary of the man and respected his prestige and reputation. He sat in silence, his magical eye taking in everyone and everything around him.

Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape were next along the table, the latter looking bored, allowing his eyes to roam everywhere but on Sirius or Remus, there was simply too much animosity there to expect anything else.

Minerva was her usual calm self and no expression could be gleaned from her.

The rest of the group seemed to be little more than a few office workers and ministry staff who, to Sirius, could offer very little to the group. The only exception was Mundungus Fletcher who had his finger in every despicable pie in the black market. He was a cowardly sneak thief all in all and the best that could be got from him would be information.

Sirius glanced at the discarded newspaper on the table and shook his head at it disgustedly.

The front page was visible and the headline of the day had served little more than to annoy him further.

 **Dumbledore Claims The Return Of You-Know-Who**

The article was nothing more than a character defamation piece claiming Dumbledore had finally gone insane and he should be stripped of all his titles and should apologise for scaremongering.

It was of course endorsed by the minister himself who dismissed the claims as all thought he would.

Sirius knew the coming war would be messy, especially if Fudge was unwilling to accept what had happened. This meant that only those in the room were fighting against him and that simply was not enough.

He shook his head again, frustrated at the situation.

He himself felt next to useless, as he couldn't even take a real active part due to his current status. If he was able he would be out looking for his Godson and had attempted to several times not caring if he was captured. It had been Remus who had stopped him, reminding him of how his recklessness before had landed him in Azkaban in the first place. He reluctantly stayed put hoping that Dumbledore would bring news.

His thoughts were interrupted by the man himself who had entered the room looking as calm as ever.

He took a seat at the head of the table and smiled gently at those present before addressing them.

"Firstly, I would like to thank you all for coming tonight" he started, bowing his head to those in attendance.

Before he could continue however, a clearly worried Sirius cut him off.

"Where is Harry?" he asked clearly fearful of the condition of his godson.

"This whole thing isn't about Potter, Black" Snape spat. "This is about the Dark Lord returning. Just because Potter has decided to disappear and sulk it doesn't mean we should be wasting our time looking for the brat" he finished feeling smug at the horror on his childhood foes face.

Sirius exploded to his feet, his face twisted into a look of unadulterated hatred and rage, all present were reminded of the fact the he was a Black, the easy going prankster was nowhere to be seen.

What stood in front of them was a man close to the edge, a man bordering on instability.

They could feel his rage leaking off him in the form of pure magic and they blanched at his fury. When he spoke his voice was quiet and dangerous but carried to all those in the room with ease.

"I don't give a fuck about you, I don't give a fuck about this war and I don't give a fuck about anything else. The only thing I want is my godson back" he said choking at his own mention of Harry. "When he does come back I will be taking him away from here to be somewhere safe where he doesn't have to worry about any of this" he finished firmly.

Remus put a calming hand on his forearm and looked imploringly at him. Sirius breathed deeply before taking his seat and looked at Dumbledore expectantly who sighed deeply before answering the emotional man.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple my boy" the headmaster began tentatively. "If you knew Harry then you would know that he would not leave while Voldemort is alive and it would not be fair for you to take away his chance to avenge his family name" he continued.

Everyone in attendance was in shock. Did Dumbledore truly expect Harry to fight and defeat Voldemort? Did the usual man of peace just talk of allowing a mere boy to avenge his family through killing?

The mood at the table had taken a sudden turn and each wanted to voice their opinion on the matter. The first to speak was Molly Weasley.

"You can't be serious Albus" she stated. "He's just a poor boy, surely you can't expect him to face that monster alone. "What on earth would give you that idea?" she finished quite hysterically.

Snape was the next to put his view forward.

"Potter?" he laughed. "You really think that Potter is capable of killing the Dark Lord, tell me you're joking," he said almost pleadingly.

Upon seeing the serious expression on Dumbledore's face he continued.

"You're serious aren't you?" "You really think Potter can do it," he said sceptically.

He shook his head but remained silent in his disbelief. Before anyone else could speak Dumbledore put an end to the dissent with his commanding voice.

"Enough" he said almost angrily. "There are things you don't understand that I have to discuss with Harry before I discuss with anyone else" he said firmly.

He raised his hand to cut off any protest that would surely be made.

"It is his right to know before anyone else and that's all I will say on the matter for the time being" he concluded.

"You still haven't told us where Harry is" Remus cut in sounding desperate.

Dumbledore sighed again before continuing.

"I can only tell you what I know for sure" he said. "I should start from the night Harry went missing so you can all understand as much as possible" he finished looking a little more warn.

He now had the undivided attention of the room and began his explanation.

"On the night of the final task Harry and young Mr Diggory both took the cup at the centre of the maze and were transported to a graveyard in Little Hangelton. During the course of their time there Mr Diggory was hit with the killing curse and unfortunately died. Voldemort then completed a ritual to gain a body back using his fathers' bone, flesh willingly given and blood of an enemy, Harry's blood" he finished sadly.

All in the room looked disgusted upon hearing the description of the ritual and many faces were horrified at the implications.

Dumbledore spoke again before he could be interrupted.

"From the state the Graveyard was in it is clear that quite a violent fight took place between Harry and Voldemort and from what I could see, Harry certainly fought valiantly" he said with pride in his voice. "From here it becomes difficult to decipher what happened" he sighed. "I do know that the Cruciatus curse was used quite liberally as was the killing curse", he explained tiredly.

The expressions of those around him were even more horrified than they had been previously.

He held up a hand again to quell any interruptions.

"Please let me finish. From what I could gather two people were killed there that night but there was no other body present. It is possible that Harry killed one of the Death Eaters and they simply took the body when they left, but that is not what I think happened" he said placating those who looked worried at the thought of Harry having to take a life.

"You think Potter was hit with another killing curse don't you?" Minerva asked eliciting several gasps and concerned looks from many at the table.

"I do" he said simply. "But" he continued before anyone else could speak. "Harry is very much alive", he informed them confidently.

Everyone at the table breathed a sigh of relief at his proclamation.

"How?" Sirius managed to rasp through his emotional state. "Surely he's not immune to the curse" he added.

"Again, that is something I have to discuss with Harry but no I do not believe Mr Potter is immune" he said sounding slightly amused. "If what I think has happened then Mr potter will be feeling better than he ever has and I expect we will see a lot of changes in him. His magical signature was very strong within the graveyard and it was not simple passive magic it was mature and powerful and very much defiant" he chuckled gaining a few strange looks from some. "Mr Potter was clearly very angry during a large part of the confrontation and his magic responded quite spectacularly I must say. He did not submit as almost everyone would, he faced Voldemort the way I would expect him to" he finished again full of pride for the teenager.

"Where the hell is he Dumbledore" Sirius again cut in.

The amusement Dumbledore had exhibited was now gone.

"I don't know" he answered truthfully. "When I got to the graveyard he was already gone and all that was left behind was this" he said removing the two halves of Harry's wand from his pocket and placing them on the table which Sirius immediately snatched up.

"His wand" he croaked out. "How the hell is he alive?" he asked desperately.

He suddenly looked very fearful.

"You-know-who must have him" he finished standing and beginning to pace.

"The Dark Lord does not have him" Snape said firmly. "He was taken from the Graveyard as the killing curse was fired at him. Someone broke the wards around the area and fired off some fog to block out the Dark Lord and apparated in and took Potter" he explained. "He is convinced that his curse hit and that Potter is dead wherever he is. He has no idea who it was but we can be sure that it was a powerful wizard who broke wards erected by the Dark Lord himself" he concluded.

"So how do you know that Harry is alive?" Sirius asked pointing at Dumbledore.

"Two reasons" he stated. "Firstly, the blood wards around his home are still intact, if Harry were to die they would collapse immediately" he started. "And secondly" he sighed knowing more questions would be asked. "The night of the leaving feast I received what I thought was a howler that turned out to be an audio message of some kind" he continued. "It was from whomever has Harry stating that he is safe and sound, it was sealed with a magical vow" he finished.

Sirius sagged in relief momentarily before the questions began to run through his mind. Before he could ask he was beaten to it by Remus who was looking relived and curious.

"Who was it from" he asked Dumbledore.

"I can't be sure" he answered honestly. "But the voice seemed somewhat familiar to me" he said frowning.

"Well what can we do?" Tonks asked, speaking for the first time.

"In regards to Harry, all we can do is wait" he concluded sadly. "But there are many other things we need to attend to in his absence" he finished flicking his wand towards the door so the gathered teenagers outside could no longer listen.

 _(Break)_

Two floors up from the kitchen five teenagers were gathered on the landing, strings hanging from their ears and looks of shock and worry plastered on their faces. The first to speak was the youngest of the group, Ginny.

"Do you think he's really okay?" she asked nervously.

It was Hermione who answered although she herself was not entirely convinced after hearing Dumbledore's explanation.

"I'm sure Harry is fine" she spoke reservedly. "If Dumbledore says he's fine then he must be" she added more resolutely.

"Then where the hell can he be?" Ron cut in sounding frustrated.

"I don't know Ron" Hermione answered exasperatedly.

She took a breath to calm herself before continuing.

"If I know Harry and if he's in danger he will find a way out" she said confidently.

"But he doesn't have his wand" George pointed out.

"He killed a basilisk with only a sword" Ginny interjected.

"Yeah because Harry just happens to carry a sword with him at all times" Ron snarked sarcastically, shaking his head.

They all stood in silence for some time lost in their own thoughts until Hermione spoke once again.

"His relatives must be really worried about him" she said worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

The twins and Ron shared uneasy looks but decided to say nothing. The look went unnoticed by Hermione but Ginny picked up on the awkwardness immediately.

"What?" she asked. "What is it" she demanded firmly.

The boys exchanged a look again before one of the twins nodded and looked at the girls through a curious frown.

"What do you know about Harry?" he asked.

"He's brave and he's strong and quiet" Ginny answered confidently. "He's the strong silent type" she finished with a dreamy expression.

"That's the crap you read in all your stupid books" Ron said in a very unsubtle manner.

"What do you know about him Hermione?" Fred asked.

Hermione frowned and thought deeply before answering. She worried her lip again before looking very confident.

"He's a shy and introverted person who lacks confidence and doesn't work to his full potential. He's very powerful when he wants to be but he seems reluctant to stand out" she said nodding at her own conclusion of her best friend.

"True" was the simple reply she received. "What do you know about his life away from Hogwarts?" was the follow up question.

Hermione hesitated. "Erm, well not much really he doesn't ever talk about it, but I do know his relatives aren't very nice people" she finished lamely.

The three boys again shared a look before Ron nodded to his older brothers. They seemed to have a silent debate between them before one of them nodded reluctantly.

"When we rescued Harry the summer before second year we found him in his room half-starved and there were bars on the window and he was locked in" he explained irritably. "His relatives hate him and treat him worse than a house-elf, that's why he has no confidence" he explained.

He shared a look with his brother before continuing.

"When we got his trunk from the cupboard under the stairs we found a bed in there and some drawings on the wall that Harry had done, he must have slept in there for most of his childhood" he concluded sadly.

Hermione looked a mixture between horrified and furious.

"Why didn't he tell us?" she asked no one in particular. "Surely if he would have told Dumbledore he would have done something" she said with conviction.

"Well we did speak to mum and convince her to write to Dumbledore" one of the twins replied rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "All he did was thank her for raising her concerns and that's it" he finished looking perplexed.

"Do they really treat him that badly" Ginny asked disbelievingly.

"Listen Ginny" one of the twins started, putting his arm around her shoulders. "The Harry you read about in your stories as a girl is not real. He didn't grow up in a castle and he's nothing like how he is portrayed in them" he said firmly. "The Harry you think you love does not exist" he continued. "Harry hates being famous and hates attention, that's just in his nature but he has his issues and they are down to the muggles who raised him" he finished looking his sister in the eyes.

"But he's really powerful and brave" she said almost desperately.

"Yes he is" Hermione stated simply. "But he doesn't do the things he does for fame or attention, he does it because it's the right thing to do" she finished.

"And what is it he has done?" the twins asked in unison. "We've heard rumours but you know what rumours at school are like" one of them said knowingly.

The three younger teens shared sheepish looks before nodding in agreement and turned to look at the twins who were waiting patiently.

"What we tell you can go no further" Hermione said in a no-nonsense tone.

"We swear that…"

"We won't say a word" the twins chorused.

Between the three of them they explained what they knew of Harry's first three years at Hogwarts.

The twins remained silent taking in every detail and listened in awe at what they were hearing. By the end they were dumbfounded and simply stood mouths agape. Even Ron and Ginny were amazed at Hermione's description of Harry's patronus the night they saved Sirius.

"He's really that powerful?" Ron asked shaking his head.

"I've never seen anything like it, it was amazing" Hermione answered quietly.

"But that's not supposed to be possible" one of the twins said disbelievingly. "100 Dementors, even the most powerful wizards struggle with a few at the most, Dumbledore is probably the only possible exception" he said mirroring his brothers head shake.

"I saw him do it" Hermione answered simply. "Have you ever seen him angry?" she asked the collective group.

"Yeah" Ron replied. "When he realised it was Sirius who had taken me in the shack. He was furious and he was terrifying. It felt like I couldn't move" he finished looking thoughtful.

"That's exactly how I felt" Hermione said. "Even Sirius froze for a while. It takes a lot to make him angry but when he gets there it really is terrifying" She finished quietly frowning.

"I don't believe it" one of the twins stated. "Our little Harrikins is the nicest bloke going" he replied.

"Yeah" the other interjected. "He's not got a horrible bone in his body".

The group went silent again for some time before one of the twins spoke up. He looked at his sister questioningly before speaking.

"Are you sure the basilisk was as big as you said?" he asked sceptically. "You were in shock you know and it might have seemed bigger than it was" he pointed out.

His sister huffed angrily and took a moment to compose herself before she answered her brother.

"I know what I saw" she said angrily. "It was massive and nearly killed Harry, it bit him when he stabbed it with the sword" she said adamantly.

"But Harry would be dead" Fred pointed out. "No one can survive being bitten by a basilisk" he continued, stating the obvious.

"Dumbledore's phoenix healed him" she replied through gritted teeth. "He has the scar on his arm" she finished glaring at her brother.

"Okay, okay" George broke in raising his arms in a gesture of peace. "It seems our little Harry is quite lucky at getting out of trouble" he said impressed by the younger boy.

"But luck runs out eventually" his Fred replied.

"Then let's hope his luck holds for a little longer" finished his brother before they left the landing and headed towards their bedroom.

Ron looked at Hermione for some reassurance. She shrugged her shoulders before taking Ginny by the arm and leading her away. He stood alone on the landing for some time thinking of his wayward friend.

"Where the hell are you Harry" he mumbled to himself before he too made his way to bed.

 _(Break)_

Harry awoke to find himself in a peculiar predicament. His nostrils were filled with the scent of both old and new parchment mixed with a distant smell of frying food. It took him several moments to remember where he was and what had happened in the last 24 hours. When he did he felt both nervous and relieved once again knowing he was safe for now.

He roused himself and removed the offending weight from his face before stretching and opening his eyes. He instinctively reached towards the bedside table for his glasses but could not feel them. He double-checked his face only to find they weren't there and began to feel a slight pang of panic.

It took a few seconds to realise that he could actually see perfectly without them and he relaxed slightly. Was he wearing them yesterday? Having been used to only seeing with them on he didn't check.

He shook his head and stretched and began to reflect further on the day before. He wasn't long into his musings when the door opened and in came Arcturus carrying a plate of food and a pile of clothes.

"Ahh awake are we Potter?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. "I see you've been reading" he acknowledged, gesturing to the book.

Harry had indeed read a considerable amount of the book in his sleepless state. He found what he read quite disturbing and was very reluctant to even think of casting the spells he had seen within the tome.

His mind had wandered back to the memories that he had seen and reluctance slowly turned into a determination to learn everything he could from the book. He remembered the horrors of the war and battles he had seen and knew that if he wanted any fighting chance at surviving he would have to learn all he could. Backed by his desire to avenge his family and to see to the end of Voldemort personally, the determination became iron clad and he wanted to learn the same magic he had seen his Grandfather use and he wanted those who followed Voldemort to understand why it was a bad idea to pick a fight with a Potter.

Yes, Harry had witnessed battle, he had seen his grandfather face down any man who would attack the people who couldn't fight and those who would attack him and the ones he cared about. He found a deep respect for someone of his own blood and wanted nothing more than to live up to the man. He wanted to make him proud and follow his morals. He would do as the man himself told him; you do what you have to do to survive.

He looked towards the older man who had fought side by side with his Grandfather with the determination he felt reflected in his eyes.

"Yes sir" he answered simply, knowing that was all he needed to say.

Arcturus observed the young man in front him for a brief moment before nodding in reply and handing him the plate of food.

"You have a few decisions to make today Potter" he said in a business-like tone. "Eat first, the bathroom is opposite this one then come down to the drawing room at the end of the corridor" he instructed placing the clothes on the chair next to the bed before he left the room.

Harry found that he was very hungry, after all he hadn't eaten for almost four days.

He ate his breakfast with gusto, picked up the pile of clothes from the chair and made his way to the bathroom. The room itself was simple. It was slate tiled with a glossy black sink, toilet and shower enclosure to match. Despite the dark décor it was brightly lit and he found the atmosphere relaxing. He turned on the shower and stripped down waiting for the water to heat up.

He caught sight of himself in the mirror and was surprised at his appearance. He no longer looked emaciated. He was still on the thin side but he looked considerably healthier than he remembered. He noticed too that his scar had faded considerably and traced it with his finger.

He touched his face and found he had fairly high cheekbones, something that had been hidden by his glasses all these years. He didn't look so much the little boy he remembered, he was truly growing and maturing physically. He couldn't recall the last time he had paid any attention to his reflection; he had never been vain so he never noticed any kind of changes but now really looking at himself he could see that he wasn't a child anymore.

It seemed that his reflection was living up to the strides his emotional maturity had made over the years. He drew his attention away and stepped into the shower to cleanse himself.

He exited the shower when he was finished and got dressed quickly before making his way to the indicated drawing room. He paused at the door and took a breath before knocking.

"Come in" Arcturus replied.

Harry entered the room and was taken aback by what he found inside.

The drawing room was more of a library. Stacks upon stacks of books lined the walls placed upon thick oak shelves. The carpet was a deep green and the furniture matched the shelves perfectly. Arcturus was sat behind a desk at the end of the room simply waiting for Harry to take the seat on the opposite side.

"These are all the books I took from the Black library when that sow Walburga finally croaked" he said seeing Harry staring in awe at the sheer amount of books in the room. "As long as you are here you can read whatever you like" he added grabbing the boy's attention.

"Thank you sir" Harry replied gratefully. "How long will I be here Mr Black?" he asked nervously.

"That is what we need to discuss" the older man answered seriously. "Now you are not a prisoner here Potter, you can leave whenever you like" he stated appeasing the boy.

"Thank you sir" Harry said breathing a sigh of relief.

"That being said" he continued. "I think it is best that you remain here for the foreseeable future. Riddle thinks you're dead and that itself gives us time for you to prepare. I have already sent a message to Dumbledore so he knows that you are safe so you need not worry about that" he added upon seeing a little bit of panic in Harry's eyes. "I can send Elgar to fetch any of your belongings you will want and then you can make sure you're ready to make an appearance when the time is right" he finished.

Harry was torn. It was not that he disliked the man but he wanted to see his friends and Sirius to let them all know he was ok. But the more he thought about it the more he knew it made sense to stay where he was. The less people that knew he was alive the better.

"Yes sir" he answered. "I think you're right, I'm not ready to face him yet and I need to be" he admitted slightly ashamed.

"Good" was the reply he received. "Elgar" he called out for the house-elf.

"Yes Lord Black" the elf replied on entering the room.

"Can you locate Mr Potter's property, it may be at Hogwarts or at his home".

The elf looked a little nervous before he replied.

"Elgar can be checking Hogwarts Lord Black but Elgar cannot be going to Mr Potter's home" the elf said reluctantly.

"Hmm must be the wards" the older man mused. "Do you have an elf Potter?" he asked.

"I don't own an elf sir but there may be one that can help" he replied.

"Call it" Arcturus answered.

"Dobby?" Harry called uncertainly.

There was a pop and Harry immediately found himself wrapped tightly in a hug by a hysterical elf.

"Master Harry Potter sir, Dobby has been worried about you sir, but sir is ok" the elf wailed.

Harry just sat in shock at the elf's antics unsure on what he should. That was until he saw Arcturus standing across the desk looking furious with his wand in his hand.

"What the hell is the Malfoy elf doing here?" he asked angrily.

"He's not a Malfoy elf anymore" Harry explained shielding the Dobby. "I set him free at the end of my second year" he added desperately.

The look of fury turned to one of confusion and then to one of amusement and the older man barked out a short laugh.

"Set him free did you?" he asked. "You'll have to share that story" he said before turning his attention back to the shaking elf.

"Who do you serve elf?" Arcturus asked bluntly.

Dobby looked sheepish and turned a deeper shade of green before he answered the question. He stood straighter and looked the older man in the face defiantly.

"Dobby serves the great Harry Potter sir" the elf answered in perfect English.

He turned to look at Harry looking slightly worried.

"When Harry Potter sir freed Dobby he had to find a new master quickly as Dobby was weak and he would die. Dobby bonded to the great Harry Potter sir knowing that Harry Potter sirs magics were strong and Dobby wouldn't have to serve him to stay alive" he finished looking nervous again.

"It's ok Dobby" Harry consoled the trembling elf. "All you had to do was ask and I would have agreed if it would save your life".

Arcturus shook his head at the pair.

"Just like Charlus" he said. "Making friends with creatures, it drove Dorea crazy when he would come home with another animal to look after" he added looking thoughtful. "Elf?" he said slipping out of his thoughts. "Can you get Mr Potter's things from wherever they are?" he asked, back to his usual tone.

"Yes Baron Black sir, Dobby will be getting it right away" the elf replied before popping out of the room.

Arcturus shook his head at the elf's personality and turned his attention to the boy who was still looking quite dumbfounded. He coughed to get his attention.

"Well if you're staying here there are things we need to get" he said. "We will take a trip to Gringotts, in disguise of course, and go to your vaults I'm sure there will be some stuff for you there. You need a couple of wands and probably clothes I imagine" he finished scratching his chin.

Harry was relieved at the thought of getting a wand, wait a minute wands. He looked at the man questioningly.

"You should always have a second wand" he said sternly. "It's not strictly legal but you need to be prepared for all eventualities" he said firmly.

"I'm sorry but did you say vaults?" Harry asked.

Arcturus looked confused for a moment before he snapped out of it and stared at the boy.

"When did you last go to the bank?" he asked.

"Not since second year" he answered confusedly.

"Ahh so you wouldn't be aware of your family vault yet. All families have a family vault Potter and as the last of your line you can access it" he explained.

Harry was shocked and excited at the prospect of what he would find in there. More than anything he was hoping for more pictures of his family and sentimental things to remind him of them.

Before he could think further Dobby popped back in to the room with his trunk in tow.

"Professor whiskers be sending master Harry Potter sirs things back to the fat ones" he said. "The fattest one was not happy to see Dobby" he added looking guilty.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Harry asked worriedly.

"No sir" Dobby answered. "Dobby may have cursed him a little though and Dobby is not sorry" the elf said with some force. "Dobby be punishing himself if Master Harry Potter sir wishes" he said hanging his head.

"No" Harry returned firmly.

"Why would the elf curse your family?" Arcturus questioned.

Harry turned red with embarrassment before he steeled himself to answer.

"Well they're not very nice people" he said lamely pushing his hands through his hair.

Arcturus scowled at what he said and read between the lines. He felt anger rise within him but calmed himself quite well before he spoke.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked quietly and Harry could sense the danger in his voice. He really did not want this conversation to happen but knew he had no choice.

"Only sometimes" he replied barely above a whisper. "But its ok" he added quickly. " I won't have to go back there until next year" he finished feeling a little sad.

Arcturus growled and his nostrils flared at seeing the reaction of the boy to the subject of his relatives.

"You won't ever have to go back there" he said resolutely. "This is my idiot grandsons fault" he growled. "Oh I will be having words with him soon enough" he said to himself. "And we" he said indicating between himself and Harry will be having a conversation later" he finished in a no-nonsense tone.

Harry gulped but nodded knowing that Arcturus was very serious and there would be no compromise.

"Now" the older man began again after he had calmed down. "It's time for us to take a trip, but first we need to hide who you are" he said beckoning Harry forward.

He removed his wand and pointed it at Harry's face, who couldn't help but flinch, and waved it a few times before turning his wand on himself and repeating the process.

"No one will recognise us like this" he said summoning a mirror.

Harry now had light brown hair and brown eyes. His cheekbones had lowered and he was slightly fuller in figure.

Arcturus looked similar to him only much older with blue eyes. They looked as though they were grandfather and grandson and Harry had to agree; no one would recognise either of them for who they really were.

Before he could comprehend what had happened Arcturus had grabbed his arm and had apparated them out of the house.

They appeared in an alley just outside the large, white marble building that was the bank. It took a moment for Harry to gather himself from the unexpected apparition but his disorientation passed quickly.

"When we go in let me do the talking" Arcturus said seriously before taking Harry by the arm and leading past the two heavily armoured goblin guards and into the bank.

It looked just as Harry remembered. There were two very long rows of desks on either side of the bank and one large at the end placed in the centre of the gangway.

They approached the desk completely unnoticed and Arcturus spoke to the goblin who looked quite displeased at being interrupted.

"I wish to see Barchoke, the goblin in charge of the Black accounts" he said in a low voice flashing a ring on his right hand in to view.

The goblin looked surprised but covered it quickly. He looked intently at Arcturus and then at Harry his bushy eyebrows rising significantly at the unlikely duo.

"It has been some time Baron Black" the goblin replied in an equally low voice. "Don't worry" he added seeing the concerned look on Harry's face, "We pride ourselves on our discretion as Baron Black can attest to" he finished proudly.

With that he left his desk to fetch the required goblin leaving Harry and Arcturus alone for a brief moment.

It wasn't long before he returned with a confused looking goblin in tow. When he saw Arcturus an evil smirk appeared on his face but it did not look sinister, in fact it looked very gleeful.

"Ahh Baron Black" the goblin started. "It has been 5 years since you last graced me with your presence and that only happened because the matter was both urgent and delicate, I assume this is the same" he stated nodding towards Harry.

"It is indeed" he replied neutrally. "However, I must insist on the same level of discretion as previously, I'm sure you are aware of my companions' current status" he said giving the goblin a sharp look.

The goblin bowed his head in understanding before answering. "I am indeed Baron Black" he answered. "Perhaps we should discuss things in a more private setting?" he asked seeing a few other goblins taking notice of them.

"That would be appreciated" Arcturus said gratefully.

The goblin beckoned them forwards and the y followed him through a set of doors to the left hand side at the end of the corridor. The walked through what appeared to be a labyrinth of hallways before reaching a large brown door in which the entered.

The room was a conference area of some sort. It was simply decorated with a large table in the centre adorned with 12 matching chairs. There was a fireplace but the walls were bare and painted a neutral magnolia.

Harry and Arcturus sat opposite Barchoke to begin their business.

"What is it I can do for you Baron Black?" the goblin asked sounding slightly suspicious.

"As you can see I brought company today" Arcturus answered. "He would like to access his family vault to receive some gold and any items of his choosing" he finished simply.

The goblin looked relieved at the simplicity of the business with the older man. He was curious about his accompanying the Potter boy however. "May I ask as to why you are bringing Mr Potter?" he asked quizzically. "Does it concern your previous visit" he asked with what appeared to be concern.

Arcturus nodded in response but did not address the second question vocally. "A certain Dark Lord as resurfaced" he stated. "Mr Potter here has already had a run in with him and he needs to be prepared" he finished giving the goblin a knowing look.

The goblin breathed out a sharp burst of breath before addressing Arcturus.

"We appreciate the warning" he spoke sincerely. "And of course as Mr Potter is one of our more significant customers it is in our best interest to keep your visit as quiet as possible" he added. "However, as far as Gringotts is concerned, due to the nature of a certain tournament this past year and the fact that Mr Potter is the last in his line, he is considered an adult wizard as of now" the goblin finished clicking his fingers.

"I was hoping you would see it that way" Arcturus replied, offering the goblin a bow of his head. "I would like to request a health check on Mr Potter also, he had quite the traumatic experience recently and as you can imagine, St Mungo's would not be ideal currently" he explained gesturing towards the young man.

"Of course, though are healing skills are rather different" the goblin warned.

Arcturus simply nodded.

The goblin stood and made his way towards Harry and looked him in the eyes. He took hold of his hands and closed his own, a look of deep concentration coming over him. He then placed his hands on his head his thumbs pushing gently into Harry's temples.

Harry felt a warm tingle spread throughout him that finished as quickly as it begun. Barchoke then made his way back to his seat and looked curiously at Harry.

"Your magic has undergone significant changes recently" he stated simply. "Your body also seems to be in the process of changing physically and will continue to do so in the coming weeks, it's as though it has been stunted and held back by a few factors and is now catching up on itself" he finished turning to look at Arcturus.

"Him?" he questioned.

"I believe so" Arcturus replied. "He was hit by the killing curse again, is it all gone?" he questioned the goblin.

The goblin nodded. "There are no signs of any other magic influencing Mr Potter in any capacity" he answered. "There are however a couple of curious things I came across" the goblin said looking curious. "And he will need to be fitted for a new wand, his magic is different his old one may not be a fit any longer" he finished.

"What curious things?" Arcturus asked frowning.

"It appears that Mr Potter has traces of both basilisk venom and phoenix tears in his blood" the goblin answered. "It is curious how they got there and how the venom did not kill him" he finished looking intently at Harry as Arcturus was also.

Harry looked nervous and didn't know how to answer but knew that honesty went a long way with the older Black.

"I fought and killed a basilisk in my second year. Someone opened the chamber of secrets and it was petrifying students. It petrified my friend and my other friends' sister was taken in to the chamber so I went to get her out" he said looking at the floor. "I got bit by the snake as I stabbed it and Fawkes, that's Dumbledore's phoenix, cried into the wound" he finished breathily.

Arcturus shook his head. "It seems we have much more to discuss Mr Potter" he said. "How did you find the chamber" he asked.

"We spoke to moaning Myrtle in the second floor bathroom. She was killed by the basilisk the last time it was opened in there so we figured the entrance was there. It was using the plumbing to get around the school" he said.

"Hmm" Arcturus mused. "And how did a 12 year old enter the chamber when many more experienced wizards have failed to even find the entrance" he asked even more curiously.

"You have to be a parselmouth to open it" Harry replied quietly.

Arcturus coughed in surprise but schooled his features again quickly. "So you're a parselmouth?" he asked quietly.

"Yes" Harry answered ashamed. "Dumbledore says that I got the ability from Voldemort when he hit me with the curse the first time and it backfired" he explained.

"There have been parselmouths' in the Black line but not for several hundred years" Arcturus explained firmly. "We are related to the Slytherins by blood but very distantly now. We married into a lower branch of the family centuries ago so it may be a blood trait. Your magic has changed and I am guessing if that ability came from Riddle then it will no longer be there" he said looking questioningly at the goblin who had been very quiet for the past few minutes.

He shook himself from his stupor before answering.

"I believe that would be the case. Any traits both positive and negative would have been removed along with the… essence left behind" he sighed noticing a look he was given by Arcturus. "There is only one way to find out" he stated summoning a small adder. "Speak" he added to Harry.

Harry looked at the snake and gulped before clearing his throat to speak. _"Hello there friend" he hissed._

" _A ssspeaker" the snake replied. "You have the ssscent of the great one about you. How may I ssserve?" the snake finished questioning Harry._

" _I jussst needed to know if I could ssstill ssspeak to snakesss" he began. "My magic hasss changed and I wasn't sssure if I could anymore" he finished._

The snake shook its head looking amused. _"Silly human thiss iss a part of your magic only thossse from the sssnake line can ssspeak it but even in the line it is rare now, too much mating with your own kind hasss soiled the magic"_ it finished eliciting some laughter from Harry.

"What did it say" asked the goblin.

"It said it is my own magic but…" he stammered.

"But?" asked Arcturus impatiently.

Harry steeled himself before replying.

"He said that it is very rare now even in the Black bloodline because of continuous imbreeding, it has corrupted the magic" he muttered, stifling his laughter.

Arcturus looked murderously towards the snake before vanishing it with a simple wave of his wand.

"Well that explains it" he said. "It's your own magic. I'm guessing your father marrying your mother removed any impurities from both bloodlines and awoken the dormant magic. It will be a significant advantage for you when in battle just not against Riddle. I will get the parselmagic books from the Black vault while we are here" he finished nodding his head.

"What became of the basilisk Mr Potter" the goblin asked inquisitively.

"It's still in the chamber" he answered. "Only me and Voldemort can get in there".

"How big was it 20 feet? 30 feet?" he questioned.

Harry though for a moment before answering. "I would say it was closer to 70 feet" he replied nonchalantly.

Both Arcturus and the goblin shared a similar look before the older man addressed Harry.

"Are you sure about that Potter?" he asked sceptically.

"Yes" Harry replied heatedly. "Take my memory if you don't believe me" he finished crossing his arms.

The goblin shrugged at the older man who placed his wand at Harry's temple. "

Think of being in the chamber and fighting the basilisk" he demanded.

Harry did as he was told and felt the memory being pulled from the side of his head. He watched as the goblin summoned a pensieve and the two disappeared into it after Arcturus added the memory to the basin.

They both emerged several minutes later wearing similar expressions of shock. Arcturus looked at Harry with something he could only describe as pride.

"Just like your grandfather" he said proudly. "There was some luck there Potter but you definitely have skill" he added looking at Harry more intently.

"Yes Mr Potter that was very impressive" the goblin chimed in. "I would like to negotiate a price for the carcass of the basilisk as you killed it it is rightfully yours" he finished completely in business mode.

"I have no idea how valuable that would be" Harry said sheepishly.

"The last whole basilisk sold for around 3 million galleons but that was some 400 years ago" the goblin said frowning. "The parts from that snake are still in circulation and I imagine a fresher specimen would garner much interest especially one of this size. I can confidently offer you 8 million galleons for it, it is a very fair price and that added to the current value of your vaults would make you a very wealthy wizard Mr Potter. You will be able to live a very comfortable life as will many more Potter generations without having to ever be employed" he finished.

Harry looked towards Arcturus who simply shrugged his shoulders at the boy.

"That seems fair". Harry answered. "I don't know what I would do with a big snake corpse anyway".

"Excellent" the goblin replied clapping his hands together. "We can arrange a visit to collect the beast" he concluded.

"Can we go down to our vaults now?" Arcturus asked. "We are somewhat pressed for time" he pointed out.

"Of course" the goblin replied. "I will take you down personally".

The trip down to the vaults was exactly how Harry remembered. The cart on the single winding track was as exhilarating as his first journey. The only difference was the depth in which they travelled. Harry realised they must have made their way to the lowest point in the bowels of the underground cavern, it must have been miles below the surface.

They came to a stop outside a vault that was simply eerie. The door was a huge slab of oak decorated with an intricate obsidian pattern around the hinges and iron fixtures. In the centre of the door was a crest which Harry assumed belonged to the black family. It was faded considerably to the point of that the details could not be seen very well, demonstrating its age. Below the crest were to words; Toujours Pur.

"Vault number 13" Barchoke announced at their arrival.

"Come Potter" Arcturus said. "You have enough Black blood to enter" he stated confidently.

As they approached the door the older man gently stroked his family crest lovingly but with a mournful look on his face. He swallowed hard and his impassive mask was back in place. He removed his wand from his sleeve and placed it against the crest. The door glowed a gentle orange and then blue before a series of locks could be heard unfastening.

The door opened slowly revealing a room that seemed endless in size. Harry was taken aback by the amount of wealth on display but couldn't help but feel a sense of dread in the room.

"Do not touch anything" Arcturus instructed. "There are things in here that will take your life before you can blink and they are the more pleasant items" he finished seriously.

Harry stood still not wanting to come within a foot of anything in the room. Arcturus made his way to a large bookshelf that was halfway down the left side wall and began to peruse the shelf.

Around 5 minutes later he came back levitating 3 books that were clearly very old.

"Here" he stated directing the books towards Harry. "These are the parselmagic books that belong to the Blacks. I have no idea what is in them because if you do not possess the gift you can't touch them" he said casually. "Do not let anyone touch them under any circumstances; the curses on them are very dark and will kill someone very painfully" he advised sternly.

Harry hesitated before taking the books, not wanting to be cursed horrifically. He finally plucked the books out of the air and breathed a sigh of relief when nothing untoward happened.

"Thank you sir" he said gratefully to the older man.

Arcturus just nodded in his usual acknowledgement. "Do not share that knowledge with anyone. Those spells have not been seen or used in centuries so it is one of your advantages and may or may not be useful against Riddle, I am not sure of his knowledge on parselmagic" he uttered thoughtfully.

"I won't share any of it" Harry promised.

He looked down at the books in an attempt to determine what they contained and how useful they would be. The first book was titled; _Spells of The Serpent_ and was more of a notebook containing several spells that would come in useful in battle and day to day life.

The second book was called; _The Serpents Gift_ and was a book on more spells and parseltongue wards that Harry knew would be useful.

The final book was the oldest book, was the smallest and was again handwritten but the name of the author could not be made out. The book was titled; _Speaking The Tongue_ and was little more than a manual on how to control the parseltongue ability and speak it at will without the presence of a snake or another speaker.

Harry knew this would be very useful having never being able to speak the language at will.

They left the vault again and after another much shorter journey, found themselves outside a vault with a door that appeared to be made out of redwood.

In the centre was another crest that was much more prominent than that of the Blacks. The crest was of a dragon and a griffin back to back, each clutching a sword in one claw and a wand in the other. The background was a deep blue and the animals each a mixture of gold and silver lined in black.

Harry stood in awe at the crest and a warmth spread throughout him at the connection to his family he now felt. He raised his right hand and brushed his fingertips against the crest. As he did so he felt a gentle pull on his magic and the door vanished leaving him shocked.

He turned to look at Arcturus with that expression etched on his face.

"You need to be a Potter to open the vault" he explained. "If anyone else tried that I'm sure it would be a very unpleasant experience" he added looking at the goblin who nodded gravely.

Harry turned and entered his family vault for the first time. There were what could be described as mountains of gold Galleons taking up around ¾ of the massive room that was around the size of the Blacks but his attention was not on the gold.

He only had eyes for the other part of the vault that he could see contained piles of neatly stacked trunks and portraits. Without even thinking he made his way over to that corner and began to look through the items left behind by various family members.

Arcturus watched the teen closely and could only see the boy that more than anything in the world wanted a family. Any other child would have been filling their pockets with as much gold as they could carry but not the Potter boy.

Arcturus could see the kind of man he was becoming. He cared not for material wealth but the wealth of sentimentality. He nodded unseen in approval at the young man who was turning out to be more than he expected. He was not a typical child. He was a boy that had seen hardship and endured quite a terrible life and all he craved was a family, a family that had been taken away from him.

It had been years since Arcturus had felt any kind of real sadness but witnessing first-hand the desire the boy had to have a family gave him a twinge of it, he really did not like that.

He made his way over to the corner to find Harry looking at a picture that he recognised.

"That's your grandmother and grandfather not long after their wedding" he spoke making Harry jump at his interruption.

Harry just nodded not trusting himself to speak. The occupants in the picture were both smiling at him looking truly happy. It warmed Harrys' heart knowing that there were times that his family were happy and not everything had always been such a disaster for them as he had only ever experienced.

He was disturbed from his thoughts by Arcturus handing him another picture he had pulled from the pile.

He looked at the picture he was handed and could no longer hold back the emotions he had been and a single tear escaped him and ran slowly down his cheek. It was a picture of his parents and grandparents. In his grandmothers arms he could see a little bundle swathed in a white blanket that could only be him.

His grandfather was stood next to his grandmother with his arm wrapped around her shoulder looking very proud. All of the occupants were beaming at the new addition to the family and the emotion Harry was feeling overwhelmed him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Arcturus looking at him with his usual impassive expression.

"Use it" he said. "Use what you're feeling to honour your family, use it to avenge the crimes committed against them all". He finished sternly and with a hint of anger.

Harry could only nod weakly in response but judging by the older mans' reaction it wasn't enough. Arcturus turned him sharply and grabbed him by both shoulders and looked him piercingly in the eye.

"What is worth fighting for?" he demanded. "Is it for the wizarding world? Is it for your friends? Or is it for yourself?" the man questioned.

Harry thought about what he was being asked and was surprised at what he concluded.

The wizarding world had always been fickle to him, a hero one moment and then a villain. They were sheep and would turn on you in an instant if things went badly and it was deemed your fault. No, he would not fight for them.

His friends had proven to be just as fickle despite knowing him especially this past year. Ron had outright called him a liar and accused him of cheating and although Hermione didn't say anything he could always see she doubted him.

He frowned at those thoughts.

The entire school had turned against him and even the staff struggled to believe he did not enter the tournament willingly. As much as he wished he could fight for his friends he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He thought about his own reasons.

He had always been selfless and seldom did anything for himself and his own reasons. It always seemed what he did would benefit everyone else. He scowled at that thought but couldn't stop it playing over and over again in his mind. What could he get for himself if he fought for his own reasons? Freedom, some normality, no more voldemort, peace and revenge for his family that had been torn apart by Riddle and his regime. The thought of what Riddle had done to his family angered him and he trembled in rage and gritted his teeth.

"I fight for myself and my family" he said almost ashamedly.

"You should not be ashamed for your reasons, they are your reasons and that is all that matters" the older man said firmly. "Your grandfather would have answered the same had he been in your position right now knowing what had been done to those he loved" he added. "You fight for what feels right to you and you fight with everything you have, do you hear me"? "Remember what your grandfather said to you and remember what you saw in those memories and you're already halfway there" he finished maintaining his stare.

Harry nodded more resolutely before turning his attention back to the photos.

"We don't have much time today Potter" Arcturus said. "Get that green trunk there" he said pointing to a trunk near the top of the stack. "That's your grandfather's he used during the war it will have everything you need for the time being. Get some gold and find your family ring it should be by the book over there" he said indicating a pedestal in the centre of the room.

Harry complied and pulled down the trunk and pocketed the photos.

He made his way to the centre of the room where the pedestal was and found a box next to a large tome. The book itself was an index of all the books that the family owned. He opened the box that contained the family ring and then pocketed it.

"Grab the book also, it will help with any studying, you still have exams to do" Arcturus said. "The book will become any book you own in the Potter library so it is very useful to have with you" he finished making his way to the door to wait for the boy.

Harry picked up the book also and filled a nearby pouch with as much gold as it could carry. He then picked up a stack of muggle notes he spotted among the gold just in case he needed it. He made his way to the door still feeling overwhelmed and was reluctant to leave.

Arcturus, who shook his head at the boy, noticed this.

"You can come back any time you like Potter but we have things to do now" he reminded the teen as he entered the cart followed slowly by Harry.

The journey to the surface felt much quicker than their descent and before he knew it Harry found himself back in the alley that had apparated into when they arrived.

"We need to get you your wands" Arcturus said.

Instead of heading to Olivanders, which was further up the alley, Arcturus took Harrys' arm and led him to Knockturn Alley. When Harry realised where they were headed he hesitated but was pulled forward by the man.

"Do not believe everything you hear" he said shaking his head. "If everything here was illegal and dark do you think it would be allowed to remain functional?" he asked.

Harry remained silent but allowed himself to be half dragged down the alley.

Arcturus eventually came to a stop outside a building that had clearly seen better days. It was made out of very old stone and the wood had clearly once been dark but was now a faded grey colour. The sign above the shop was a blank oaken shield and the paint had faded so badly it could no longer be read.

Harry was quickly being dragged once again and found himself inside the shop. The first thing he noticed was the very pungent smell of burnt wood and what smelled like animal parts he had used in potions.

"Who's there?" and old scratchy voice asked from somewhere behind the counter.

"I'll give you one guess you decrepit old bastard" Arcturus replied. "Get out here now".

There was a loud thump from somewhere as though something heavy had been dropped. A fast shuffling of feet followed this.

Harry was surprised to see a man much older than Arcturus and was surprised that he could move so quickly. He was very old indeed. He had almost no hair save a few random pure white wisps and his eyes were almost completely white with only a hint of brown left in them. He was heavily wrinkled and dressed as though he was in the 1800's.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" the man asked looking at the disguised Arcturus. "Baron Black?"

"Your eyes have been deceiving you for decades you useless swine. I'm not here for a reunion I'm here to get some wands made" he told the man harshly.

"Surely your wands are fine" the man stated ignoring his brash remarks.

"They're not for me you damned cretin they're for my young companion here" he explained gesturing to Harry. "And of course you will give an oath of secrecy, we were never here, do you understand?" he asked dangerously.

The man gulped audibly but gave his oath before continuing.

"To business then" he stated rubbing his hands together. "Come forward young man" he requested beckoning to Harry who complied.

"Pass me your wand hand" he instructed.

He waved his wand over his hand and before Harry knew what was happening he felt a sharp pain that quickly disappeared.

The man was now clutching a vial of what appeared to be blood that was surrounded by a golden glow.

"This is a mixture of your blood and magic, it is unique to you. From this I can determine what components will be required for your wands and what will work best for you. I then use what's in this vial to key the wands to you and you only. That means only you can use them" he explained.

Harry just nodded at what the man said and waited for him to continue.

"From just looking at what is in the vial I can see you have strong and powerful magic a mixture from a few powerful bloodlines I imagine" he finished mumbling to himself.

He turned away and made his way behind the counter and pulled out a bowl from beneath that looked similar to a pensieve. He emptied the vial into it and began waving his wand over it and mumbling in a language Harry did not recognise.

The bowl began to glow in steadily changing colours before stopping and becoming its original colour once again. He frowned at the results and then grinned in satisfaction at his conclusion.

"Well Mr Potter" he said causing Harry to gasp in surprise, "You are a very interesting person" he said.

Arcturus growled and glared at the man but the man simply reminded him of the oath he had given.

"How do you know who I am?" Harry asked worriedly.

"I will explain when the wands are complete" the man answered. "But I am interested in hearing about your connection to some of these very unexpected ingredients" he added looking very curious.

"How long?" Arcturus cut in looking peeved at the man.

"They will be ready in a couple of hours" the man assured him.

Arcturus had already taken Harry by the arm and was already leading him outside. He dragged him a few shops up and Harry found himself being pulled inside a clothing shop.

"How may I help you dears?" a gentle female voice asked as they entered.

"The boy needs everything" Arcturus explained.

The woman looked like Christmas had come early and immediately set to work measuring Harry every way possible. By the time she had finished her measuring and asked Harry about styles and colours he was exhausted and irritable.

Before the woman set to work Arcturus pulled her aside.

"I want the robes to have this crest on" he said handing her a picture of the Potter crest which the woman blanched at. "And your discretion would be much appreciated" he added threateningly.

"Of course sir" she replied shakily. "I pride myself on confidentiality" she said hastily retreating to the back room.

What seemed like forever had passed but soon enough Harry was handed a massive trunk with his newly completed wardrobe. He had; Robes of various colours and styles, t shirts, jeans, trousers, underwear, cloaks, coats jackets, various types of shoes, boots and trainers and lots of loose fitted clothing such as tracksuits.

He quickly paid his bill eager to leave the store and they made their way back to the wandmakers' shop.

They entered the shop to be greeted by the man who was awaiting their arrival. He looked quite tired but excited at the same time.

"Well Mr Potter your wands are complete and I must say it was quite the task" he informed the teen, strangely happy at the difficulty of the job.

He pulled out a heavy but small black box and opened it to reveal two very beautiful identical wands. They were white interlaced with embedded black crystal of some kind.

"What are they made of?" Arcturus asked the question that was on the tip of Harrys' tongue.

"Well" the old man replied. "You wanted to know how I knew who you were?" the old man asked. Receiving a nod from Harry he continued.

"I knew you were a Potter from the primary cores" he began looking a little smug. "Dragon heartstring and Griffin claw" he said knowingly. "All Potter males have these cores it is a unique combination to the family. The heartstring comes from a female Horntail and the claw from a male Golden Griffin" he explained. "A very unique combination in itself but it is the rest of the wand that is curious" he added frowning.

"How so?" Harry asked, confused at the man's expression.

"The shaft of the wand is made from white ash" he explained indicating the white wood. "The obsidian marbled into the wood would usually be used as a focus stone on the end but it wasn't possible for this wand. I had to merge the 2 components, which is impossible without magic, for the wand to work the way it should" he finished again shaking his head.

Arcturus frowned at the man again before questioning further.

"And why did you have to do that?" he asked impatiently.

"The final two components" he stated looking at Harry more curiously than before. "Phoenix tears and basilisk venom" he confirmed, continuing to stare.

Harry did not react but Arcturus was now very annoyed with the man's curiosity and questions.

"What is your point?" he questioned the wandmaker quietly with a warning tone.

"It doesn't take a genius to work out how Mr Potter ended up with these two contradictory components in his blood but the fact they both survived in there is quite the feat in itself. I am guessing it is due to his magic that they still reside there it is the only way to explain it. Both surviving in your blood is a very unique form of alchemy and it shouldn't simply happen" he pointed out shaking his head in disbelief. "However, getting them to exist in a wand was quite the conundrum. That is why the obsidian and white ash are as they appear. I had to encase the venom inside the obsidian and the phoenix tears in to the ash, that way they are connected as they are both in contact with the obsidian that also acts as a barrier keeping them separated" he explained. "If they were to merge they would simply counteract the effects of each other neutralising them and making them useless, that is why your wand is so unique Mr Potter" he concluded tiredly.

Arcturus simply looked impassive as he mostly did but Harry was quite shocked at the complexity of is wand.

Before he could respond the wandmaker interjected.

"It will take a powerful wizard to wield this wand" he said matter-of-factly. "There are a lot of very magical components and I doubt anyone but you could use it even if it wasn't keyed to you only" he hazarded looking at Harry. "But you should not worry" he added looking at the concerned expression the boy wore, "This wand is tailored to your requirements so you will have no problem using it, in fact it will help you perform at your absolute best" he concluded confidently.

"Will it make me more powerful?" Harry asked curiously.

The man chuckled at the question before he answered.

"It does not work like that Mr Potter" he said shaking his head. "A wand is merely a way your magic is projected that is all, your magic is your magic and the power comes from you. A wand does not give power but only control. Everything in your wand is what your magic needs to be used to the best of its potential, it is that simple. Anything you achieve comes from you Mr Potter, the wand is just a tool but it can be quite a special tool as you can see" he demonstrated, presenting the box to him.

Harry reached out and took one of the wands in his right hand. He immediately felt his magic respond, tingling and warming him to the very tips of his toes and fingers. It felt like a glove that fit perfectly, it felt so very right.

He smiled at the feeling and no longer felt the sense of vulnerability he had the past few days.

"May I ask" the man stated questioningly but cautiously, "What happened to your other wand?" he completed his query.

Harry looked at Arcturus who shrugged his shoulders and looked away clearly not wanting to influence the answer. Harry looked at the man and felt that he should tell him the truth; he had after all helped him immensely.

"It got destroyed in a duel with Voldemort" he answered casually but quietly.

To Harrys' surprise the man did not flinch or even look surprised. But he scowled distastefully.

"Back then is he?" he spat.

Harry just nodded dumbly not sure what he could say.

"Then you send him right where he belongs if you get the chance" the man answered to which Harry nodded firmly.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked the now silent wandmaker.

"That will be 500 Galleons Mr Potter, expensive I know, but the ingredients and craftsmanship is quite spectacular" he boasted, smiling again.

Harry paid the man and bid him farewell. Arcturus led him back to the alleyway next to the bank in silence before he apparated them back to his home.

They arrived back in the drawing room and took the seats they had left hours before. They sat in a contemplative silence lost in their own thoughts. Harry was overwhelmed by the events of the day; his family vault, the photos and his wands. He took one of the wands from the box and twirled it in his fingers, it really was quite beautiful. It was around the same length of his previous holly wand and weight not much more, it felt more rigid and sturdy.

"Aren't you going to test it?" Arcturus asked.

Harry looked at the older man questioningly before answering.

"I'm underage" he pointed out.

"Your wands don't have the trace on them" Arcturus explained. "You can do all the magic you like".

Harry had to admit that he was quite excited by the prospect of being able to perform magic whenever he wanted. He thought of his spell repertoire and was quite disappointed at his lack of general knowledge; he knew he had to do better. He swallowed and thought of how happy his family looked in the photo where he was in his grandmother's arms. He felt a warmth engulf him and he basked in it for a moment before intoning mournfully; "Expecto Patronum".

A bright white shape erupted from the tip of his wand, bright enough that the two in the room had to shield their eyes briefly.

Arcturus looked on in both shock and surprise at seeing such a young wizard performing a spell of that difficulty. The surprise he felt came from the form the patronus had taken.

Harry himself was shocked also. He had become used to seeing a stag as his form but that was no longer the case. What stood in front of him now was a bigger animal, an animal he didn't recognise.

It was as large as a stallion, had large leathery wings and skin and a long thin tail that ended in a thicker triangular point. Its face was horse-like but much more skeletal and defined.

He looked towards Arcturus and could see a somewhat sad expression on his face which he adjusted upon seeing the young man's gaze.

"A fully corporeal patronus?" he asked raising an eyebrow but Harry could see he was quite impressed.

"Yes sir" Harry replied, "But it's different" he whispered.

"Different how?" the older man questioned.

"It used to be a stag, my dad's animagus form" he answered with a hint of sorrow.

"Ahh and now you feel like you've lost a part of him" Arcturus stated more than asked. "Well the form it takes now still has a family connection" he added.

At this Harry looked at the older man but couldn't bring himself to speak. His mouth was dry and a sense of sadness had filled him. He was fond of his patronus it had saved his and Sirius' life and it had always filled him with comfort.

"You have the same patronus as your grandmother" Arcturus informed him. "I suspect that the changes in your magic and your new knowledge of your family caused the change. I don't think there was anyone prouder the day you were born than Dorea was. She cared for you very much in the short time she was around and from what I know you were fond of her too. You never fussed when she was around and you quite liked being in her arms" he explained.

Harry felt a smile creep on to his face at what he heard and no longer felts so sad, he was grateful for another connection to his family. He nodded at the older man and took a second to compose himself.

"What is it?" he finally asked pointing at the still present patronus.

"It's a Thestral" he answered simply.

Seeing the confused look Harry had he elaborated.

"They are said to be dark creatures because they can only be seen by those who have witnessed death. That's not true at all. Anyone who has studied them will tell you they are strong, loyal and very loving and caring creatures. They are fiercely protective of the younger members of the herd and can be very formidable if provoked" he finished.

Harry just nodded and didn't miss the fact that what he had heard seemed to describe what he knew of his grandmother. Instead of answering he cancelled the spell and cast it again with the other wand getting the same result.

"Anyway" Arcturus interrupted his thoughts, "I'm sure you will find a lot of useful things in here" he said removing the green trunk from his pocket and resizing it. "Place your hand on the nameplate, it belongs to you now so you will be able to open" he instructed.

Harry did as he was told and the lid of the trunk popped open to reveal its contents. Inside he found several wand holsters, books and personal defects that belonged to his grandfather.

"The holsters will be very useful" Arcturus interjected.

Harry picked up 2 matching dark green ones and placed his wands inside.

"One on the wrist and one on the ankle, flick your wrist and the wand will appear in your hand and you can summon the one from your ankle wandlessly" he explained.

Harry attached the holsters as instructed and began to look at the books that were inside. He realised that most were simple journals that he could look at in his leisure, some containing more photos. One of the books he saw caught his attention. _Healthy Magic_ was the title. Inside were diet and exercise programs that would help develop the body to perform magic better and build fitness and stamina.

"You will want to really pay attention to that" Arcturus advised. "Charlus knew what he was doing and he was in very good condition, he never got exhausted in a fight".

Harry pocketed the book and closed the trunk, he would revisit later. He sat again lost in his thoughts and removed the photos from his pocket and held them lovingly, as though they were the most precious thing in the world.

Arcturus allowed him his silence knowing that the day had been an emotional one for him. It was Harry that broke the silence though he sounded a little timid and nervous.

"Sir, are there any portraits of my family like there are in Hogwarts, ones that I could talk to?" he asked hopefully.

Arcturus had wondered if the boy would ask this question and had to choose his words carefully in his reply as to not raise the teen's hopes too much.

"I know that Potter manor has several portraits like that but I am unsure if Charlus or Dorea had them made for themselves, but I would expect they did" he mused aloud. "However I can't be completely sure" he added truthfully. "I very much doubt your parents would have though" he explained further causing Harry to look disheartened. "They were both very young and probably never considered it necessary" he finished.

"Can I go to Potter Manor?" Harry asked hopefully.

"You have to put the family ring on" Arcturus instructed. "You may be too young to gain access though, the manor was locked down many years ago and the wards may not recognise you as the head of the family until you come of age" he explained. "You are the head of the family but the house was sealed by your father who may have placed a stasis spell to coincide with when you reach your majority" he finished.

Harry removed the ring from its box and placed it on his right ring finger. He felt his magic respond to it and felt a familiar warmth spread throughout him. There was nothing else and it felt very anti-climactic to him.

"Where is Potter Manor?" Arcturus questioned.

"I don't know" Harry answered disappointedly.

"Then you can't go there yet, the ring will give you the knowledge when you can. It has been a very long day Potter we should eat and then turn in" he suggested. "Tomorrow it is time to start getting prepared" he added in a no nonsense tone.

 **A/N**

 **I did not expect this to be this long. Would you guys prefer longer or shorter chapters? Everything will really start moving on from now but I won't neglect the details or half-arse it. I apologise for the delay in getting this out the illness dragged on much longer than expected and I really didn't feel like writing.**

 **TBR**


	4. Foundations

**A/N**

 **Time for another chapter and as I stated previously things will be moving on faster now. Thank you for the reviews so far. A word of warning, there will be deaths in this story and there will be some I know I will get flamed for but this is my story and I want to make it as real as possible. The reality of war is many people lose their lives and they are usually the people who don't deserve to die, sods law I'm afraid. However, I won't be killing people just for the sake of it or because I simply don't like the character. I honestly can't say how long this will be but I can tell you it will be quite long and go beyond 5** **th** **year and probably 6** **th** **and 7** **th** **but that will be based on how much sense it makes to drag things out. Anyway, please enjoy and rate, review etch.**

 **TBR**

A month had passed since the events of the third task of the tournament and Sirius Black was still in a foul and irritable mood. The main reason for his state was of course his elusive godson and the lack of knowledge the man knew of his health and whereabouts.

Despite being constantly reassured by Dumbledore that Harry was fine he couldn't shift the uneasy feeling in his stomach in any way. Adding to his already bad mood was his wanted status and the fact he had to remain in his childhood home which he loathed entirely. He was just as much a prisoner as he was in Azkaban and the dark nature of the house was barely an acceptable alternative to the Dementors.

Adding further to his annoyance was the constant presence of people around him. Remus was there by invitation and even though his mood was similar to his own, Sirius was content with the werewolf being around him, they were after all brothers in all but blood.

It was the presence of the others in his house that irked im so.

He didn't particularly dislike anyone but he felt as though he was under constant surveillance and could find no peace. The Weasley children were kept busy most of the time along with the Granger girl cleaning the house and trying to remove some of the darker aspects, a job that seemed endless and unrewarding.

It was Molly Weasley that bothered Sirius the most. He had nothing against her overtly but he found her overbearing and very trying on his nerves. He didn't understand why they were living there when the eldest son was a curse breaker and could erect suitable wards around their own home. Sirius suspected they were there at the request of Dumbledore to keep an eye on him, that was the only reason their occupancy of the house made sense.

The meetings of the order seemed pointless to him and the efforts the members were making were nothing short of fruitless. He knew they were trying their best but the majority of them were just not up to scratch in comparison to the old crowd. He found the assigned guard shifts very strange especially as they had not been told what they were guarding. He himself was not allowed to take part. Had he been allowed to he would have done all he could to discover what it was. He constantly asked Dumbledore what it was but in his usual evasive way he would simply make excuse after excuse not to tell anyone, he would state that it was not his place to tell and that it was Harry who would be made aware of it before anyone else.

Sirius Black was frustrated for many reasons and his frustration was growing more as each day passed.

 _(BREAK)_

Elsewhere in Grimmauld Place the teens occupying the house had settled into a routine of sorts. They would spend their days cleaning the house without magic, much to their chagrin and spend their evenings in respective exhaustive states doing very little besides eating and talking amongst themselves.

Hermione was finding it particularly difficult as she was not allowed in the library in the house and she had long since read everything she possessed.

Ron and Ginny would spend their free time playing chess or talking about quidditch as there was very little else they could do.

As soon as they were free the twins would spend hours locked in their room doing who knows what. The occasional bang and acrid smell would be the only evidence they were still in the house. Everyone had learnt not to disturb them. They were now of age and whatever it was they were doing was perfectly above board much to the annoyance of their mother who would scowl at the odd smells and sounds coming from their room.

They were all equally worried about Harry but knew there was nothing they could do in their position, all they could do was wait and see what would happen. It would be a nervous wait but a wait they had to endure.

Molly spent her days supervising the younger members of the household in their various tasks and cooking and cleaning when she could. The residing elf was a despicable creature and Molly would not allow him to cook for anyone from fear that he would poison them all given the chance. She had had many run ins with the portrait of Walburga Black and the two could often be heard screeching at each other which would result in Molly angrily drawing the curtains back over the offending portrait. She was worried about Harry but had confidence in the judgement of Albus, if he said Harry was ok then she would believe he was fine until she knew otherwise.

Life in Grimmauld Place was tedious and equally tense. None of the occupants knew much of what was happening on the outside but for now they were safe and that was what was important to them all.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was still worried for the young missing teen but had long since concluded there was little he could do to locate him, the headmaster had tried all he could in that regard.

He had attempted to send owls with tracking and location charms only to have the owl fly around his head in a confused state. He had even tried sending fawkes to find the boy but the phoenix simply shook his head at the request of his familiar. Dumbledore knew that if his phoenix could not find the boy then there was no way he would be found until the time was right, whenever that may be.

He knew Harry would eventually make an appearance but couldn't help but wonder what state he would be in when he did or what his plan would be. He knew the boy was resourceful and clever but hoped that wherever he was he was safe and getting the help he would need.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort was still quietly seething about the robbery of the Potter boy's corpse. He had no doubt that the boy was dead however.

The connection he had felt to Potter for the last 13 years was no longer there and he took comfort in that knowledge. He had had both Severus and Lucius on the lookout for any news of the boy's body turning up but to no avail, it had simply vanished.

He frowned at this knowing that bodies simply did not vanish and someone had knowledge of its whereabouts.

"They will pay" he spat through gritted teeth. "They will pay" he repeated to himself quietly.

With that he went back to his planning. There was very much to do but he was not in any rush. He knew with Potter dead his success was assured.

 _(BREAK)_

The last month for Harry had been as rewarding as it had been trying. He spent his waking hours studying everything he could from his various books and training both magically and physically. He spent almost all of his time alone as Arcturus was seldom around and was only seen at meal times.

It was during these times he would teach Harry small but important lessons. Harry had already learnt the importance of masking his emotions and what he was feeling. Arcturus had lectured him on the importance of face and how it was vital to ones appearance to appear calm and collected despite what they were feeling. Harry had learnt this lesson quite quickly and was becoming very good at remaining impassive just as the older man always seemed to be.

Arcturus had explained what it was that he himself was doing to Harry. He had shown him a memory of a conversation he had with Sirius's younger brother Regulus a few months before Voldemort had disappeared.

Harry was quite shocked by what he had understood of the conversation.

It pertained to something called Horcruxes that needed to be destroyed before Voldemort could truly be killed.

Initially Harry had been worried but had been assured by Arcturus that he was handling that particular problem and had made significant progress. Harry had for the most part put it out of his mind knowing and trusting that the older man had it under control.

His days were long and the first week of his training had been nothing short of brutal. He had followed the book he found in his grandfathers' trunk religiously and a month of the regime had begun to benefit him greatly. He was currently wielding a large and heavy sledgehammer that he was using to smash into a large tyre that had been conjured by Arcturus for this particular phase of training. The training was based largely on conditioning his body so that he was athletic and nimble. It was not about building a mass of muscle but the muscular gains would be significant and well-conditioned.

His diet was largely rather boring to him but it complimented his physical regime well. He would mostly eat oats and fruit for breakfast, meat, rice and vegetables for main meals and he would snack on various fruits and vegetables throughout the day. He drank copious amounts of water to keep himself hydrated throughout his workouts and continued taking his nutrient potions that he had been provided with.

Even only after one month the changes within him were quite astounding. He had grown just over another inch and his body was showing visual results from his efforts. He was by no means a chiselled specimen of muscle but he was becoming quite athletic. Arcturus had explained that his magic was working in healing his body quickly so the results would be much more quicker in his body than that of a muggle.

Harry finished his 90 second set of the sledgehammer and wiped the sweat from his brow. Although he was very busy he still thought about his friends a lot and missed them considerably.

He was worried about Hedwig and the fact that he had not seen her in some time also. He hadn't expected to receive any mail while he was here but until recently had clung on to some hope that he would hear from his friends.

Shaking himself from his thoughts he made his way back to the house and to the basement where he would practice his spell work.

He had made a huge amount of progress with his spells and in particular the ones in the book Arcturus had given him that he and his grandfather had created. At first he had felt reluctant at casting them but one look at the photo of his family and him in his grandmothers arms had put the reluctance to rest.

He would begin and end each day looking at that photo to fuel his motivation further. Since he started doing this his resolve had remained firm; he would make Riddle pay for what he had done.

The difficulty in learning the family magic was that the spells would only work if they were cast silently. For Harry this was new but he found that it was much easier than he had anticipated. At first his reluctance to cast had hindered his progress but after a stern dressing down from Arcturus and the extra determination he gained from looking at his photo it became easier as each day had passed. Within a fortnight he could cast the majority of his magic silently but he knew he needed more practice to be able to perform his entire repertoire and perfect the technique, something he knew would take much time and effort.

He began his training as he usually did by casting spells at the training dummy that Arcturus had provided for him. The dummy was unique as it would show him the exact effects the curses would have on a human body. Arcturus insisted he trained this way so it would be less of a shock when he saw the effects on a real person, he had explained that it would desensitise him to the gore of battle.

Harry agreed that it was necessary but was not entirely comfortable with what he saw.

He was about halfway through his routine when the door opened and Arcturus entered. This was not a usual occurrence , in fact it was the first time he had come in as Harry was training.

"It has been a month Potter" he noted casually. "Show me what you can do" he requested, folding his arms waiting for the boy to comply.

He watched in silence as Harry cast the spells with ease at the dummy and was admittedly impressed with his progress. When the boy finished he simply waited for further instruction.

"Good" the older man said. "But you need to be faster. Let's see how you're getting along with your movement and shielding" he requested waving his wand so the dummy would split into 3 separate opponents.

The dummies immediately started firing curse after curse at Harry who dodged and shielded as best he could against the onslaught. By the end he had only been hit twice but knew he had more work to do; he could not afford to be hit once, particularly with Tom's habit of casting the killing curse.

"You try to shield when you should be dodging" Arcturus surmised critically. "Have you tried redirecting the spells yet?" he asked the boy.

"No sir" Harry replied. "I'm not sure I can do it" he added a little ashamed.

"Well there is only one way to find out" was the reply he received and with that Arcturus fired a stinging hex at the boy that hit him on the hip.

Harry grimaced in pain at the unexpected hex but quickly schooled his features into an impassive mask as he had been taught. He knew the theory behind spell redirection but was not sure he was strong enough to do it yet.

He steeled himself and waited for another hex that came quickly. He immediately released a short burst of powerful magic into his wand and flicked the hex away in an elaborate fashion.

"Do not be so erratic with your wand movement it is unnecessary" the older man instructed. "it should be nothing more than a casual flick and it will work against almost all spells except the unforgivable of course. Have faith in your ability and be confident, try again" he finished firing another hex.

This time Harry was much more calm knowing that if the spell did hit it would only cause him a little pain. He repeated what he had before but instead of a dramatic wave of his wand he simply flicked the spell away from him just before it could make contact.

Before he could congratulate himself another curse was fired at him, this time one of a more darker nature; a blood boiling curse.

Instinctively he flicked it away again as he had the last stinging hex but couldn't help the increase in his heart rate and breathing at the deadlier spell.

"See, it is exactly the same thing" Arcturus pointed out, ignoring the death glare he was receiving from the boy. "Now practice that" he commanded indicating the three dummies which began firing at the boy again.

Harry practiced this for some time and found it was much easier this way than shielding. He found it less tiring and it gave him more freedom and fluidity in his movements. He felt light and graceful not having to plant his feet to conjure a shield and he knew it was much more beneficial to him.

After around 20 minutes of this the older man deemed his efforts suitable and froze the dummies.

"Good" he praised. "Have you been studying the parselmagic books" he inquired.

"Yes sir" Harry replied. "The magic can't be cast silently I think it is because of the language" he concluded.

Arcturus nodded in agreement at the boys theory knowing it was likely that he was right.

"How far have you progressed?" he asked.

"I have read them all and have worked out how to use the language at will I just have to focus a small amount of magic and intend to speak it" he answered proud of his progress.

"Very well" Arcturus replied. "Is there anything useful in there" he questioned.

"Yes sir, the battle spells will be useful and I think the wards will be too" he answered confidently.

Arcturus only nodded in reply. He was no longer surprised by the Potter boy and what he could achieve when he put his mind to it. He had seen his memories of his life before and during Hogwarts and had initially been taken aback at the existence he had been forced into but now his diligence to his training and his attitude was more easily understood.

Before he could question the boy further he found himself on the receiving end of a question that surprised him.

"Mr Black, can we go to my relatives home so I can put up some paseltongue wards?" Harry asked. "If I do then I know they will be protected and only Voldemort would, may, be able to break them" he added. "I can ward the house against ill intent and Riddles' magic which means anyone with the Dark Mark can't get in" he explained confidently.

Arcturus was impressed by the boys' idea but could not understand why he would do such a thing for those disgusting muggles.

"You wish to protect them after all they have done to you?" he questioned the boy.

"They're the only family I have left" Harry answered sadly. "Regardless of what they have done my mother would want me to protect them" he added.

Arcturus looked firmly at the boy but could understand his view on family. It was similar to his own and he knew he would do the same despite his disappointment in his relatives.

"We will go tomorrow" he answered before exiting the room leaving Harry alone again.

Harry finished his training and headed to his room now tired from his days effort. He was surprised upon entering the room to hear a tapping from the window being caused by a large tawny owl with amber eyes.

Confused, he opened the window to allow the bird to enter and removed the note that was tied to its leg. With its burden removed the owl left immediately leaving Harry clutching the note it had delivered.

He unfurled it to find a photo drop to the floor which he immediately picked up and gazed at. In the photo was his parents and 2 other people he did not recognise. Both couples were holding small babies between them. Harry began to read the note to ascertain who would send him such a thing.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I'm not sure if this note will reach you but thought I would at least try. My Gran told me that you were safe even though no one knows where you are, she told me she spoke to Professor Dumbledore during some meeting. I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday wherever you are and I hope that you are safe. I knew your birthday was the day after mine as you can see in the photo our parents were friends. I'm sure you are aware that the papers are still trying to figure out what is going on and are spending all of their time guessing where you are and making Dumbledore out to be insane. Anyway, write back if you can and I hope to see you on the train to Hogwarts._

 _Neville Longbottom_

To say Harry was surprised was an understatement. He was experiencing a maelstrom of emotions ranging from confusion to annoyance. If Neville could write to him then why had no one else tried? Why hadn't his friends written to him if they knew he was safe? He had thought that there were wards in place to stop mail but had he been wrong? He knew he would need to speak to Arcturus in the morning.

In his busy state he hadn't even realised his birthday had crept up on him. Not that it mattered as he had never really received anything for his birthday but he had at least thought that he would get a letter or two from Ron and Hermione. He wouldn't worry about it now, he had much more important things to do.

He began his evening routine of studying his grandfathers' notebooks and eventually showered and climbed in to bed to sleep. The sleep did not come easy on this night as he had so much on his mind but that would have to wait until the morning. Eventually he drifted off and slept soundly until he woke to the smell of breakfast being prepared.

He woke in a thoughtful mood and found that he was not particularly happy today. He showered and prepared in his usual way before heading to drawing room to eat breakfast where Arcturus was already sat at the table reading the newspaper.

"I thought you would be in a better mood after finally hearing from your friends" he stated seeing the frown that adorned the young mans' face.

"How did you know someone had written to me?" Harry asked slightly surprised.

"The wards alert me of anything that passes them" Arcturus answered casually. "I'm surprised it took this long for someone to write to you" he added.

"I thought you had wards up to stop any mail" Harry replied.

The older man shook his head. "I told you you are not a prisoner here, the wards will only stop tracking or location charms and things like portkeys or anything dangerous" he answered.

"So anyone could have written to me any time?" Harry asked his annoyance growing.

"Yes" the older man replied. "But your friends have written to you now so what is the problem?" Arcturus asked inquisitively.

"It wasn't the friends I thought it would be it was a birthday note from another friend at school" Harry answered scowling.

"Maybe they have been instructed not to write" the older man pointed out.

"Maybe" Harry answered shaking his head. "It doesn't really matter I guess it's not like it will make any difference if they write or not" he shrugged indifferently.

Harry was quite miffed with his friends but knew brooding wouldn't help, he would get his answers eventually. He put the thoughts of them to the back of his mind and began eating his breakfast.

"We will go to your relatives tonight" Arcturus informed him distastefully. "Have you tried apparating yet?" he asked.

"No sir, I've read the theory but didn't want to try it on my own in case it went wrong" Harry explained grimacing at the description he had read on splinching.

"A wise move" Arcturus agreed. "We will work on it today, it is very important for every day travel and can be used in a fight effectively" he added knowingly.

Harry just nodded his head and finished his breakfast.

After the plates had been cleared Arcturus led Harry to the room he used for training. He waved his wand clearing everything to the sides, creating a space for them to work. He waved his wand again and a circle appeared on the other side of the room etched in to the floor.

"Most of the theory on apparating is useless" he began. "It is much simpler to think of where you want to be, draw on your magic the same way you do while casting and will yourself to your destination" he explained as though it was the easiest thing in the world. "Like so" he said vanishing silently and appearing in the circle he had created.

A split second later he had returned to where he was previously standing.

"It only takes practice to get it right, that's all the advice I can give you" he said shrugging his shoulders. "Now, you try" he instructed stepping aside.

Harry had taken everything in he had been told but was not very confident in the advice he had been given. However he shrugged off his doubts and began to do what he had been told. He drew on his magic and willed himself in to the circle as he had been instructed to and was surprised to hear a loud crack. He opened his eyes feeling disorientated for a brief second only to find that he was exactly where he had been.

"Not bad" Arcturus praised bowing his head. "But you hesitated so you went nowhere, now try again" he finished firmly.

It took him the best part of an hour to successfully apparate in to the circle and after he had done it once it became easier the more he did it. By the time he was comfortable with the new method of transport it was lunch time.

"I want you to work on your spells after lunch" Arcturus broke in while they were eating their meal. "You can perform the spells now you need to be able to chain them together quickly one after the other and work out what spells chain well together" he added. "You also need to work on combining them like your grandfather used to. When he fought Gaulitier you saw how he combined the fog, the wind and the flames it will give you another edge if you can create and use combinations like that" he finished.

Harry agreed that working on his casting, chaining and combinations was a beneficial way to spend time and knew it would be taking up much of his magical training from then on. He nodded in reply at the older man and stood to make his to the training room.

As he got to the door he was stopped in his tracks by Arcturus questioning him further.

"Are you also completing your school and theory work?" he asked. "You will still have exams to complete" he stated firmly.

"Yes sir" Harry replied. "But I guess I could put more effort into it" he added sheepishly raking a hand through his hair, knowing it was one of the more neglected aspects of his training.

"Ensure that you do Potter" Arcturus warned in a scolding tone. "Get practicing, I will return in time for us to go to your relatives" he added somewhat suddenly rising and leaving the room.

Harry shook his head and made his way to the training room to begin work on his spells.

Harry spent several fruitful hours working on the various casting and spell techniques before he was interrupted by the return of the older man who gave no explanation of where he had been or what he had been doing.

They ate their evening meal in silence and Harry used the time to steel his resolve at facing his relatives again, something he was not looking forward to. All too soon they had finished eating and Arcturus stood and gestured for Harry to do the same.

"I will apparate us there and you can get yourself back here, it's exactly the same as you were doing earlier" he added seeing a slightly nervous look on the boys' face.

He removed his wand and cast a spell that Harry recognised as a magical signature concealer, a spell from the Black magic on both of them.

"Better to be cautious than reckless" he said seriously. "Where do they live?" he asked with a sour edge to his tone.

"Little Whinging in Surrey" Harry replied.

With that the older man grasped Harry by the forearm and apparated them away. They landed in a park that Harry recognised that wasn't too far from where the Dursleys' lived.

"Lets go" Acturus instructed, gesturing for Harry to take the lead.

Harry led them through the park and under the bridge that took them into Privet Drive. He suddenly stopped feeling a familiar sense of cold overcome him that was not usual for a July evening.

"You feel it too?" Arcturus asked looking around.

"Dementors" Harry stated simply. "But they aren't that close" he added mimicking the older mans' searching look.

"Stay sharp Potter, if things go bad apparate back" the older man advised.

Harry nodded and they continued on their way. The coldness left quickly and before he was truly ready they had arrived at number 4. The older man sensed the nervousness of the boy and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"These are not allies Potter nor are they enemies in a manner of speaking" he said shaking his head. "Handle it the way your grandfather would, be firm and do not let them take liberties with you, make them respect you" he finished sternly staring in to the boys' emerald eyes with his piercing grey ones.

He saw the steely, impassive look take its place as Harrys' posture and stature became tall but relaxed. He nodded in approval and allowed the boy to lead him to the front door.

Harry braced himself and pushed the front door open confidently and stepped inside followed closely behind by Arcturus. At the sound of the front door closing they were confronted by the 3 Dursleys', two morbidly obese and one as thin and horse-like as ever.

"What is the meaning of this boy?" his uncle questioned turning the usual shade of purple when he was in close proximity to his nephew. "The crackpot old fool said you would be away for the whole summer" he finished spraying his unwelcome guests with a vast quantity of spittle.

Arcturus was furious at the demeanour the overweight buffoon was displaying towards his nephew and was ready to curse him with all manner of vile spells but before he could the boy took charge of the situation.

"Unless you want to be killed very slowly and painfully Vernon I suggest you shut up and listen for once in your life" Harry spoke neutrally.

"Are you threatening me boy?" the large man roared in apoplectic rage. "I won't have it, I will beat the freakishness out of you this time" he screamed stepping forward.

Before he could complete his first step Harry had drawn his wand and quickly and silently fired three spells at his Uncle.

Vernon now found himself unable to speak and stuck to the wall by his ample girth.

Harry shook his head at his uncles stupidity and turned to look at his Aunt who was stood stunned and looked more pale than usual.

"Are you sensible enough to listen Petunia or should I leave and let you all face what's out there?" he asked her in a quiet but serious voice.

"What do you mean?" Petunia finally managed to reply shakily.

"He's back" Harry replied casually. "The one who killed my parents" he added seeing the confused look on his aunts' face.

"He can't be" she whispered. "That Dumbledore man said he was dead".

"Well he's not and when he realises I am still alive I am guessing he will come here. But if you give me 10 minutes I can make sure you are protected" he answered.

"But we are already protected" she responded confusedly.

At this Arcturus drew his wand and began casting a detection spell mumbling in Latin. He frowned at the results and turned to Harry to explain.

"The blood wards are on the brink of collapse and any other wards that were here aren't anymore, there are only a few detection spells" he informed the teen.

Harry nodded not having expected much more from Dumbledore based on his past experience of the man's protections.

"There you have it, you're not as protected as you thought" Harry explained to his aunt. "Do you want my help or not, I do not have all night?" he asked irritably.

"What will you do?" Petunia inquired nervously.

"I will put my own wards up that will keep anyone magical out of the house and defend you if it is attacked. I will then place a spell on you that will automatically transport you back here if someone or something magical comes within 10 feet of you when you are in public" Harry explained.

Arcturus listened and was very impressed at the plan the boy had come up with. He nodded in approval at Potters' ingenuity but continued glaring at his aunt in contempt. It had taken a lot of self-control not to interfere but it was not his business to dish out justice here so he remained silent and allowed the boy to do what he wanted.

"Okay" Petunia agreed not liking the hateful glare she was receiving from the old man who had come with her nephew.

Harry set to work and began by casting the spells on Petunia, a completely silent Dudley and a still subdued and silenced Vernon. Arcturus was impressed with the parselmagic even though he could not understood what was said, he could see that it was quite complex and was pleased with the progress the boy had made with his control of the language.

"It's time for the wards now everyone stay back" Harry said in a soft but commanding voice.

He raised his wand above his head and began chanting in parseltongue while waving one intricate pattern after another. He continued in this fashion feeling the protections rooting themselves in place the further in to his spell work he got.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was currently sat at the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place listening to the various members of the order voicing their grievances at the lack of information they were receiving and subsequent lack of success they were having with their endeavours. He understood their frustrations but knew there was little more they could be doing until Voldemort came out in the open, which he seemed reluctant to do for the time being. This did worry Dumbledore because he knew that in the times of quiet, Tom was planning something usually significant. He was brought out of his thoughts by the usually quiet Alastor Moody scolding the group assembled at the table.

"Albus will tell us when it is necessary" he growled in his usual manner. "If we all know everything then there is more chance that someone we don't want knowing finding out" he finished his magical eye spinning wildly in its socket.

"Thank you Alastor" Dumbledore responded gratefully bowing his head to his friend.

Before he could continue however he was alerted by one of his detection spells he had placed at number 4 Privet Drive.

Everyone at the table looked at him expectantly when they saw his demeanour change from calm to grave in a mere second.

"What is it Albus?" Moody asked curiously.

Dumbledore frowned but stood sharply when he realised what had happened.

"Someone has raised wards around Harrys' relatives home" he explained urgently.

The assembled members shot to their feet and began talking in tandem, creating a confusing situation. It took a minute for Dumbledore to calm them which took a loud bang from his wand to gain the silence he needed.

"Minerva, Arthur, Bill, Alastor, Remus and Nymphadora, you will come with me" he commanded, quickly creating a portkey from the days newspaper that had been left on the table.

Before they could take the portkey Sirius stepped forward looking nervous but eager.

"I'm coming too" he said defiantly.

"I'm afraid not Sirius" Dumbledore denied the man, shaking his head. "There's a chance members of the ministry will show and you know you can't be seen" he finished sadly, knowing that the man only wished to help any way he could.

Sirius growled in response and stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.

"He will get over it" Remus said unsurely.

"Shouldn't we be going?" Moody interjected impatiently.

With that the chosen members all grabbed the newspaper and disappeared with familiar feeling of being hooked through the navel.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry finished his chanting and nodded to Arcturus to indicate he had finished. With that he turned to his aunt and spoke to her in a casual tone.

"It's done, you will be safe now, the way my mum would have wanted" he said. "Now hopefully we will never have to see each other again whether or not I survive this war" he added. He then flicked his wand casually and released Vernon from his binds and made his way to the front door.

"Harry?" Petunia asked before he could exit.

Harry stopped but did not turn to look at his aunt; in his eyes they no longer had any business. It did sadden him slightly that they never had any real relationship but he had long ago accepted that that was the hand he had been dealt.

"Thank you" Petunia said to her nephews' back. "For protecting us" she added a little sadly.

Harry simply nodded before exiting the house for what he hoped would be the final time.

Arcturus looked at the three assembled Dursleys' in disgust.

"You're very lucky that he is a decent human being" he spoke quietly. "If it was me I would have cursed you within an inch of your life and let Riddle have what was left" he stated.

With a final shake of his head and a look of loathing at the occupants he left the house.

Harry left the house and breathed a sigh of relief. He was shortly joined by Arcturus who gave him a nod of approval.

"We will go a little further up the road before we apparate" he told the boy.

They made their way further up the street and again came to a sudden stop when they felt a sudden cold creep into their very bones.

Harry turned to Arcturus.

"They are much closer this time" he deduced, drawing his wand and scanning the area.

"Indeed " Arcturus replied simply.

Harry felt the cold creeping in even more so and began to hear his mother pleading for her life in the way he had become accustomed to in the presence of the Dementors.

He immediately thought of the photo on his bedside table of him in his grandmothers arms and prepared himself. He heard a gentle ripple of a cloak from behind him and turned to see two of the foul creatures descending upon him and Arcturus who seemed to have frozen with a vacant look on his face.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ Harry intoned almost casually knowing that two of the creatures were not a problem for him.

His now familiar thestral erupted from the tip of his wand and galloped audibly towards the offending beasts who immediately fled the onslaught from the violently bright light that bathed the entire street in a luminous glow.

"It is time to leave Potter, that would have gotten some attention" the older man said a little shakily and disappeared silently.

Before Harry could concentrate enough to apparate away he was distracted by the arrival of a group of people around 20 feet in front of him, some which he recognised.

A pink haired woman in the group fired what he realised was a stunning spell at him which he returned back towards her with immense speed. The spell hit her squarely in the chest and sent flying backwards into who Harry saw was Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley who found themselves on the ground in a tangle of limbs.

With a wave of his wand Harry conjured the black fog he had seen his grandfather use and banished it towards the group with great speed. He then added a circle of fire that surrounded them before he apparated away back to the safety of the house.

He did not feel guilty for what he had done. He was still raw from the fact that none of these people had tried to contact him, even to see if he was safe.

After a minute Dumbledore managed to dispel the fog and the flames and looked towards the spot where Harry had been standing. Dumbledore was impressed with the speed and magic Harry had displayed and felt a little easier having seen the boy himself.

"Was that Potter?" Minerva asked disbelievingly.

"Indeed it was" Dumbledore answered. "It appears that Mr Potter has grown in many ways" he added amusedly.

"Why did he attack us?" Bill asked confused.

"The boy was defending himself" Moody interjected. "And he did a fine job" he finished looking annoyed at the still unconscious auror.

"That was quite some speed" Remus added standing and rubbing his lower back. "And that spell packed quite a punch" he concluded wincing slightly. He then revived Tonks who looked confused at her predicament and quickly stood when she remembered what had happened.

"Ouch" she complained rubbing her chest. "I'm going to feel that for a week, Who the hell was that?" she asked the group.

"I believe you have just met Mr Potter" Dumbledore answered chuckling.

"That was Potter?" the auror growled, peeved that she had been bested by a 15 year old. "He looks nothing like I thought he would that's why I fired at him".

"Maybe you will learn not to be overzealous in the future or at least be prepared for a counter" Moody scolded his protégé.

Tonks just mumbled under her breath not happy with the events of the evening.

Dumbledore made the short journey to number 4 followed by the group to ascertain exactly what had happened. When he reached the boundary he felt a very strong magic being emitted by what he knew was a powerful ward. He raised his hand to bring the group to a stop and drew his wand to run a diagnostic charm. He frowned deeply at the results and cast several more charms to try to decipher what the unfamiliar magic was. He drew a blank. The magical signature had been concealed completely and the ward was completely unfamiliar to him. He managed to figure out that anyone who tried to pass the ward would experience a severe amount of pain and likely death.

He had a sudden idea.

"Bill, have you ever came across a ward scheme like this on your travels?" he asked the curse breaker.

Bill stepped forward and ran a more in depth series of diagnostic spells before blanching and stepping back very quickly.

"Only once" he replied clearly shaken. "In Egypt a few years ago we came across something similar and two of our team died trying to break the wards" he explained. "After that we were told to seal the tomb and leave. It needs a specific language to even be able to try and break them and even then it is a very complex set of wards that will need specific passwords and incantations to make it even remotely possible to break" he finished his explanation to the shocked group.

"Did you ever figure out what language it was?" Remus asked.

"No" Bill answered shaking his head. "It is either an entirely made up language or one so scarce that only very few and certain people can speak it" he said shrugging his shoulders.

"Like parseltongue?" Remus asked.

Bill looked at the werewolf curiously.

"It is definitely a possibility" he conceded, scratching his chin. "If that is the case then only a parselmouth could break these wards and they would need very in depth training in ward breaking to do it or be the one who put them up in the first place" he finished.

"Harry must have put these wards up knowing that" Remus mumbled to himself.

"Wait a minute, Potter is a parselmouth?" Tonks asked incredulously.

"Yes he is" Remus answered firmly at the challenging tone the auror showed and the shocked look from those who were unaware. "That does not make him dark" he added dangerously.

"Tell that to my poor chest" the auror replied quietly. "I didn't know that the Potters had parselmouths in their lineage" she stated confusedly.

"Harry comes from both the Potter and the Black families" Lupin answered. "But Dumbledore thinks that his ability is a trait left over from the killing curse he was hit with as a baby" he added looking at Dumbledore who looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps he inherited the ability from his Black heritage after all" Dumbledore mused pulling gently on his beard. "Being hit by the curse again would have removed the ability I believe, so perhaps it was always his own and was no way linked to Voldemort" he said quietly.

The group was suddenly interrupted by several pops and were quickly surrounded by aurors led by Madame Bones and the minister of magic himself.

"Ahh Dumbledore" the minister greeted the headmaster rubbing his hands together. "Out causing more trouble are we?" he asked rhetorically. "I think it is best you and your friends be on your way we have business with Mr Potter" he finished looking gleeful.

"Cornelius, you know as well as I do that Mr Potter has been missing for over a month and as you can see, he is not here" he finished feeling content with the look of annoyance on Fudges face.

"You're hiding him" the man roared purple with rage. "There's been a lot of magical activity here tonight and I know that Potter is responsible" he added breathing heavily.

"You will not find any trace of Mr Potter here Cornelius I can assure you" Dumbledore retorted confidently with the twinkle in his eye working overtime in his amusement.

"What are you all doing here then?" the minister questioned with suspicion evident in his voice.

"Ahh well as you know I have detection spells in Harrys' relatives house to monitor any possible threat here and I was alerted by them earlier" Dumbledore answered Jovially.

"Why are they all here?" the minister questioned again gesturing to the assembled group.

"You see Cornelius we were simply having a drink when I was alerted and my friends here insisted on accompanying me on my trip" he answered smoothly.

"And all the spells?" Fudge asked through greeted teeth.

"It seems that young Nymphadora here got a little carried away as we arrived and in her drunken eager state fired prematurely. I simply repaired the damage and that's when you arrived" Dumbledore fabricated, inclining his head towards the now furious minister.

"We will see what the boy's relatives have to say on the matter" Fudge interjected triumphantly.

"I am afraid that won't be possible Cornelius" Dumbledore sighed. "It appears that a rascal of some sort has placed a very complex ward scheme over the house and it is now impossible for magical folk to enter, I daresay this is now one of the best protected properties in the country perhaps even the best" he explained further.

"Get me a team of ward breakers" Fudge shouted at his contingency.

"There is no point Cornelius, I am afraid your efforts would be fruitless. Mr Weasley here is a curse breaker and assures me that the wards were created using an unrecognisable language and even if the language was known they are password protected and could be anything" he concluded again with the same amusement.

"Just leave" the minister roared. "All of you get lost" he added.

With that Dumbledore and the gathered members of the order of the phoenix left after giving Amelia Bones a nod in acknowledgement.

As soon as they arrived back at Grimmauld Place they were accosted by a frantic Sirius.

"Was it Harry, is he ok?" he asked Remus who simply looked amused.

"Oh Harry is fine" the werewolf answered laughing. "Isn't he Tonks?" he added laughing harder.

The auror simply growled before storming in to the kitchen and ignoring the questioning glance she received from her cousin.

"What the hell happened?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"Let's just say that Harry got the jump on us and your cousin ended up the worst off" Lupin answered still laughing.

At the confused look of his friend Remus explained from beginning to end what had happened. By the time he was finished Sirius had tears rolling down his face and his usual playful demeanour was back in full swing.

"He really did that?" he asked proudly feeling much more relaxed knowing Remus had seen Harry.

"Yes" Remus answered seriously. "He's different Sirius, the speed and power was something else" he said clearly impressed.

"At least we know he is safe, I just wish I knew where he is" the other man stated.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived back in the training room and took a moment to collect himself before he made his way to find Arcturus. He entered the drawing room to find the man sat behind his desk clutching a glass of what seemed to be firewhisky. He looked a little shaken but acknowledged the teen by raising his glass and then draining it.

"What kept you?" he asked placing his now empty glass on the desk.

"Dumbledore decided to make an appearance with a group of people" Harry answered. "I take it Dementors affect you quite badly" he stated.

"Its fine" Arcturus dismissed the boy with a wave of his hand. "They make me feel like I'm back on the battlefield for the first time that's all. Did you speak to him?" he questioned.

"No" Harry answered shaking his head. "One of his group attacked me so I got out of there as soon as I could".

"They probably didn't recognise you, you do look very different" Arcturus pointed out. "Anyway, I made a trip to the ministry today and got these" he said handing Harry four maroon folders. "They are your parents and grandparents Hogwarts files" he explained seeing the confused look on the boys' face. "I thought these would be a better birthday present than anything else I could think of and I'm sure once you see their achievements it will motivate you to work on your academic studies a little more. It is all well and good reading Charlus's books but you have your own path to carve, don't forget to live your own life and not get lost in those of people who are no longer here" he finished seriously.

Harry took the folders and thought on what had just been said. He knew the older man was right, he knew that he needed to focus more on his own life than living in the past. He had found it difficult as he had never known much about his family and now he had all the information he had never had before.

Yes, he had been training hard but knowing he wasn't going back to Hogwarts anytime soon he had largely neglected his school work. It was clear to him that Arcturus thought it was important so he would take the older mans' advice. He opened the folder on the top of the pile and saw that it was his grandmothers. He read the contents and was quite surprised at what he saw.

He was even more impressed by her than he had been. Her academic record was impressive, 11 OWLS and 7 NEWTS all graded O. What surprised him more was the amount of detentions she had received from her 5th year onwards.

"How did she get so many detentions?" he asked Arcturus in confusion.

The older man looked very amused as he answered.

"Well after the incident where you grandfather saved her it seems that she really began sticking up for herself" he began. "I told you she was a formidable witch and many people found that out in her last years at school" he said proudly. "I think she wanted to impress your grandfather or he simply gave her the confidence to fight back" he concluded.

Harry smiled at the thought of the timid girl he had seen in the memory defending herself. He placed the folder on the desk and opened the next folder which belonged to his grandfather. It read similarly to his grandmothers but he had 8 OWLS and 7 NEWTS. His OWL results were flawless excluding potions which was awful.

"He really got a D in potions?" Harry asked.

"He really was useless with potions" Arcturus said shaking his head, "It was one of his few shortcomings".

Harry placed the folder next to his grandmothers on the desk and opened the next. It belonged to his father. This was the thickest folder by some margin and Harry immediately saw why. There was sheet after sheet of detentions for various pranks and fights he had gotten himself in. A consistent name he saw was that of Severus Snape. Harry frowned at that. No wonder he hated Harry if the contents of this file were anything to go by.

Harry passed over the rest of the detention forms and looked at his fathers' achievements. Although he was quite the prankster it was clear that he did study. He received all O's and an E in potions on all of his OWLS and NEWTS. Harry was surprised. He had expected his father to be mediocre at best. He now felt guilty for not applying himself more to his studies over the years. If truth be told, he had been less than mediocre.

He shook his head at his own academic performance and the disappointment he was feeling. His father had even been head boy. Harry felt like a failure. He had failed his parents and he had failed himself so far. He placed the folder on the desk with the others and looked at the final one, the one that belonged to his mother.

He opened it already expecting to feel worse; he did not expect to feel as bad as he did.

His Mother had achieved considerably more than the others. She had 14 OWLS graded O with an O+ in charms and her NEWTS were exactly the same.

She had been a prefect and Head girl and even achieved a charms mastery when she finished at Hogwarts. Harry was simply ashamed at his lacklustre performance and felt sick, his parents would be appalled by his grades if they were alive. He placed the folder with the others and stood. He needed to change his schedule; he needed to do much better if he wanted to live up to his family name.

He left the room not even bidding farewell to the older man who was looking pleased with what he saw.

Arcturus knew the boy was disappointed but knew it would give him the motivation he needed to do better.

The older man went to bed that night knowing he had done the right thing by his friend and sister. They too wouldn't tolerate mediocrity in school.

"He will get there" he whispered into the darkness.

 **A/N**

 **Another chapter done and things are slowly picking up. There will be more action in the coming chapters and character deaths, which I will not apologise for. I'm still not 100% decided on what pairing I will go with yet.**

 **I apologise for any mistakes or if I overlook things. I work almost 100 hours a week and write in the quieter hours at work so it is likely I will miss things but please drop me a message and I will get around to fixing it all.**

 **TBR**


	5. Endurance

**A/N (Edited for readability but no major changes)**

 **Firstly I would like to thank everyone for the reviews; they really do help guide me. I want to give a particular thank you to caskettfan5 who has reviewed every chapter and always offers a good insight for me to consider. I am doing this without a beta of any sort so I am bound to make mistakes so again my apologies.**

 **Now on with the next chapter and as always please follow, favourite and review.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 5: Endurance

It was now September 1st and the teenage occupants of Grimmauld Place had just made it to the Hogwarts express in their usually late fashion.

Fred and George quickly left to find their friend Lee Jordan leaving the other three to make their way on to the train.

They boarded the express and managed to find a near empty compartment in the very last carriage, the only two people inside were Neville Longbottom and a girl who was in Ginnys' year, Luna Lovegood.

Neville looked relieved when the other teens entered the compartment and seemed to visibly relax considerably. He had lost a lot of weight over the summer and he no longer had the chubby, boyish face, he looked more like the growing teen he was and not an oversized child.

"I have to go to the prefects' carriage for a meeting" Hermione said quietly.

"Congratulations Hermione" Neville praised. "It was a no-brainer that you would get it" he finished genuinely.

"Thank you Neville" she replied gratefully as she left.

Ron simply looked irritated, he thought that with Harry being missing then he stood a chance at being made prefect also but that had not happened.

"Who got the male position in Gryffindor?" he asked sullenly noticing Neville wasn't wearing the badge.

"Dean Thomas got it, I saw him on the platform" Neville replied.

"Dean?" Ron questioned critically, "But he's an idiot" he grumbled, scowling.

"He gets the best grades in our dorm and he stays out of trouble" Neville shrugged. "Makes sense to me with Harry not coming back".

"How do you know he's not coming back?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"He wrote to me after I sent him a birthday present" Neville answered. "But he told me not to talk about it to anyone except you guys. He said you knew he was ok" he finished.

"We haven't heard from him at all" Ron moaned moodily. "Why would he write to you?"

"Did you write to him?" Neville questioned in reply.

"Well no I thought he would write when he could" Ron muttered, his ears turning red in annoyance and embarrassment.

"So you just sent him an owl and he got it?" Ginny interjected.

"That's right" Neville confirmed. "How else would you write to someone?" he asked rhetorically.

"He's going to be so furious with us" Ginny said quietly.

"Definitely" Neville replied simply.

"He can't be mad at us" Ron pointed out. "And even if he is he will get over it" he concluded confidently.

Before Neville could reply Ginny intervened seeing the peeved demeanour the other boy was now sporting.

"What did he say in his letter?" She inquired.

"He just said he's okay and has a lot to do, to keep everything between us and he will see us all soon enough" Neville answered ominously.

With that the door opened and in came an irritated looking Hermione. Upon sensing the atmosphere in the compartment she looked at each person, waiting for an explanation.

"Harry wrote to Neville" Ron said sulkily.

Hermione was taken aback. Of all the trivial things she was expecting, this wasn't it. She had so many questions running through her mind that they all came spewing out in one long sentence.

"How is he? Is he ok? When is he coming back? What did he say to you? Why would he write to you and not us?" She finished breathlessly sounding upset.

"He is ok but we have to keep it to ourselves" Neville responded, gesturing to those present.

His eyes went wide in terror as they fell on to Luna who he had forgotten was still there.

"Luna, you can't say anything to anyone" he said pleadingly.

The other girl seemed to snap out of some form of trance and seemed surprised by how many people were in the compartment with her.

"I'm sorry were you all talking about something?" she questioned. "I was thinking about my summer, me and my father went to Sweden looking for many wonderful creatures" she finished, clearly ignorant of any conversation that had taken place.

Neville breathed a sigh of relief and simply mouthed the word 'later' to Hermione who had now taken her seat.

"Who are the other prefects?" Ron asked.

"Take a guess" Hermione answered sourly.

Ron groaned knowing that that sour tone could only mean one thing.

Before he could answer the compartment door opened and in stepped a gleeful looking Malfoy flanked by his two usual goons and Pansy Parkinson.

"Ahh Weasel" he intoned elaborately. "See this?" he asked pointing to the silver badge that was pinned to his robes. "This proves what I have always known, that I am better than you" he finished laughing at the reaction he was getting from the redhead.

Ron was furious but before he could react he felt his sister grab the back of his robes and pull him tightly into the seat, restraining him.

"Piss off Malfoy" he replied through gritted.

"Uh uh Ahh Weasel, you should respect your betters" Malfoy replied waggling his finger in Rons' face. "There's no more scar-head to protect you" he said smugly. "Rumour has it his corpse is nothing more than a trophy over a very special fireplace" he finished.

The other occupants in the carriage were furious but Malfoy and his goons left quickly before any retribution could be had.

"I'm going to kill him" Ron shouted furiously.

"Forget it Ron" Hermione advised. "You know Malfoy is only talk and he will get a big surprise when he finds out that Harry is ok" She huffed attempting to calm the boy.

The rest of the journey passed by with them all lost in their own thoughts and before they knew it they were sat in the Great Hall waiting for the feast to begin.

Dumbledore rose from his seat at the centre of the staff table, his eyes twinkling in their usual way. The hall fell silent as he raised his arms to garner the attention of the students and staff.

"Welcome both new and returning students" he began. "Before we get to the announcements of the year I believe it is both prudent and customary to first dine on the fine food offered here at Hogwarts" he finished waving a hand across the breadth of the hall causing the empty plates and dishes to fill with an assortment of food.

"Who is that" Neville asked indicating to the only new member of staff at the table, a short stout woman wearing a pink cardigan and a matching bow in her hair.

Ron swallowed the mouthful of food he had before he looked towards the woman.

"New defence professor" he shrugged before continuing his onslaught.

"She doesn't look up to much does she" Neville said before adding food to his own plate.

The rest of the meal past in companionable silence and the students waited patiently for Dumbledore to conclude the feast so they could make their way to their respective dormitories.

Eventually he rose and the room fell silent once again.

"Again welcome to you all" he began. "Firstly, the forbidden forest is just that; forbidden to all students old and new" he said aiming a glance at the Weasley twins who were looking every bit the picture of innocence.

"Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that a list of all banned items can be found attached to his office door for those that may need reminding" he explained, again looking at the twins.

"And finally we have only one staff change this year. Please join me in welcoming Madame Umbridge who will be taking over as your Defence against the Dark Arts lessons for this year" he said starting a round of applause that was half-heartedly given by the students.

Before he could continue, said woman stood from her seat and made her way to the podium, gesturing for Dumbledore to sit down.

"Hem Hem" she coughed in a very irritating way. "My name is Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister…"

What followed was a long drawn out speech that very few paid attention to and were only roused by the clapping of the headmaster.

"One final thing" the woman chimed in before the headmaster could assume control. "I would like Mr Potter to join me in my office at the conclusion of the feast" she requested in a simpering girlish tone scanning the room for the teen.

The room began to speak in hushed whispers wondering what was going on. It was Neville who stood to address the woman as he saw the members of the staff was reluctant to.

"Harry has been missing for two months, you should know that" he said irritably not quite believing the woman was a stupid as she was coming across.

"We at the ministry believe that is a lie" she said shooting a glance at Dumbledore. "However, if Mr Potter is not here then he is playing truant and will be taken in to ministry care at the earliest opportunity" she concluded leaving the room.

"Prefects, please escort the members of your house to the dormitories" Dumbledore requested, every hint of his twinkle missing.

All the students made their way to their common rooms in silence some confused and some thoughtful. Draco Malfoy was confused. He had no reason not to believe his father when he told them that Potter had been killed by the Dark Lord but why was the ministry insisting he was alive? He shook his head knowing that his father wouldn't say it if he didn't know for sure and he knew that most of the ministry workers were buffoons. Even Fudge himself would be nothing without his father and the money he generously donated. Potter was dead, he had to be.

Being missing for 2 months in the wizarding without training was a death sentence. He made his way to his dorm lost in thoughts and decided that it was not his problem. He had more important things to worry about like how he could use his new found power to get what he wanted.

The members of Gryffindor were solemn. Ron and Hermione were questioned incessantly about the whereabouts of Harry but they told all the members of the house that you simply knew nothing and had not heard from him.

Neville Longbottom looked at his fellow housemates in sorrow. Only last year they had turned their back on the missing teen and now they decided to be concerned for his welfare. He pitied them all but kept his mouth shut as he promised Harry he would.

He went silently to his bed and allowed the rest of the house to wallow in their own emotions. He knew that Harry was ok and to him that was all that mattered until Harry decided when to make an appearance. He looked forward to that day knowing that things would be very different.

 _(BREAK)_

The last month for Harry had essentially been a string of repetitive days. He would wake in the morning and eat and train both magically and physically throughout the day. The regime he had been following had benefited even more than he could imagine. He felt strong and healthy and looked the best he ever had. He had grown a further 2 inches, had filled out considerably and had to replace his wardrobe entirely. His skill with a wand was coming on in leaps and bounds and his movement was both becoming exceptionally fast and graceful. He was happy with his progress but was under no illusion that he needed to keep at it; he still had a lot more work to do.

After writing to Neville he had received only one other piece of mail and that had come courtesy of the goblins that had sent him a magical sphere to record the parseltongue prompts so they could access the carcass in the chamber.

They had written to Dumbledore and he had agreed to allow them access to the school to retrieve the corpse hoping that the wealth it would provide to Harry would help him in his endeavours. The old man had respected what he assumed was the teens wish to be left alone but passed on his greetings and offered help if he needed it.

Harry was grateful to Dumbledore but Arcturus was clearly not fond of the man for reasons of his own.

He would then spend several hours in the evening on magical theory and learning the syllabus for the last few years of school and even studying beyond it the way that he knew his family had.

He found that in the peace and quiet of his room he could excel at his subjects but again felt disappointed in his less than impressive first few years at Hogwarts.

On the night he saw the files belonging to both his parents and grandparents he had vowed to do better academically and he was well on his way to living up to them the way he desired.

Today felt strange to Harry knowing that he should be on the express and returning to school but in a way he was glad that he wasn't. He had settled into his routine and knew that he was benefitting much more being here than he would at school. He did miss his friends but he no longer missed them the way he had. He didn't hold anything against them for not writing and felt no dislike towards them but he did feel let down by the apparent lack of care they had shown. It was not something he dwelled on much; he simply didn't have the time.

He was busy during all waking hours and only stopped to rest during meal times and when he was unwinding in the evening before he slept. No, Harry was not bitter but he was certainly indifferent.

Arcturus had maintained his usual routine of being absent during the day and Harry had long since stopped wondering where it was he went. Harry knew he was busy taking care of the Horcruxes and knew better than to question the man. He would ask for help if wanted or needed it and Harry found that he truly did trust him. He would return at random times and test Harry in all aspects of his training and studying, offering pointers and advice where he felt necessary. He did not however baby the boy in any way and largely left him alone to be responsible for his own training and studies. He knew that seeing the files had lit a fire under the teen and had made him much more studious, which he was pleased to see.

The last few days had been a concern for Harry.

It began when he had started feeling lethargic and a little weak. His physical workout had left him drained and his magic had been erratic at best during his spell work. Initially he had concluded he was having an off day and simply shrugged it off. It wasn't until the next day that he felt something wasn't right when he barely made it half way through his exercises before he had to rest and even after that his energy levels did not replete.

It was today that he had woken to find that even walking to the drawing room for breakfast had him sweating and gasping for air and he knew that something must be really wrong. Not wanting to burden Arcturus with his problems he sat at the table and began to slowly eat what he could, and that wasn't much.

The older man eyed the boy critically as he entered the room. He looked peaky and quite sickly. He continued to watch him as he ate a very meagre amount compared to what he usually would. He took in the symptoms he could see and come to only two possible conclusions.

"Are you sick?" he asked the boy who jumped at the sudden interruption to his meal.

"I'm just feeling a little run down" Harry said dismissively.

Arcturus frowned at the boy knowing he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"Have you been vomiting?" he asked.

Harry shook his head.

"No I don't feel sick everything is just tiring and my magic is a little off, maybe I'm training too much" he tried hopefully.

The older man was sceptical of the boys' theory knowing that he wouldn't feel this way 2 months in to training, the tired phase passed weeks ago.

"What do you mean your magic is off?" he asked. "Are your spells either under or over powered?" he questioned, frowning.

Harry nodded at the question.

"Both" he said. "The power is inconsistent and I have little control over it" he admitted.

"I see" Arcturus replied. "Do you feel too hot or too cold?" he questioned further.

"Neither" Harry replied confused. "I feel normal apart from tiredness and my magic acting strangely".

"Ahh" Arcturus intoned surprised. "Come here" he commanded beckoning to the boy.

Harry complied and found himself on the receiving end of several diagnostic charms and spells he did not recognise.

"Just as I thought" the man said triumphantly. "It seems you are going through an early magical maturity" he proclaimed.

"What's that?" Harry asked inquisitively, it was something he had never heard of.

"It's the final stage in your magical growth in which you reach your peak powers and your core finishes stabilizing" the older man answered knowledgably. "It doesn't usually happen until you are between 18 and 21 years old though" he added frowning.

"Why is it happening to me now then?" Harry asked with worry evident in his voice.

Arcturus continued to frown while he considered his answer. The reasons became obvious with little thought. He looked at the boy critically again before he answered.

"Several reasons I think" he began. "Powerful wizards tend to mature much more quickly and there is no doubt that you are more than an exceptionally powerful wizard" he continued. "I'm also guessing that the taint of Riddle hindered your growth considerably, both magically and physically. With that gone, you being healthy and having grown as much as you have recently it seems that your body can now cope with the mature magic" he concluded thoughtfully. "I think Charlus went through his early. He was much like you until 5th year. When he came back he was bigger, faster and stronger in his body and magic" he explained.

Harry thought about what he had been told but could only nod in agreement.

He had begun to believe that he was certainly no average wizard. Since the piece of Riddle had been removed everything felt much more easy, even studying and absorbing information permanently was a breeze without the constant aches the scar had given him. He performed spells with ease and it just kept getting easier the more he did it.

"How long will it last?" he asked with a hint of concern.

Arcturus shrugged.

"For the average wizard it's usually over in a few days. How long have you felt like this?" he questioned the boy.

"This is the third day but the worst by far" Harry answered feeling worried again.

"It is usually longer for more powerful wizards, mine was around 5 days if I remember correctly" he explained.

Harry felt a little better knowing that but he could not ignore the exhaustion he was feeling.

"Is there anything I can do to make it easier?" he asked hopefully.

The older man shook his head.

"No, you just have to let it pass" he answered. "Just relax and sleep as much as you can and don't perform any magic or it will make it worse" he warned. "Use the time for your studies and theory work and let your body run its course" he finished firmly.

Harry nodded knowing that the older man was speaking sense.

He bid the man farewell and returned to his room to begin his day working on his theory.

Arcturus remained in his chair for some time pondering the boy he was sharing his house with. He couldn't help but marvel a little at the boy and the potential he possessed.

"He will do you proud old friend" he said quietly to the empty room and with that he put his usual disguise in place and disapparated to carry out his business for the day.

It was the next day that a surprise article appeared in the Daily Prophet. Harry was in bed feeling even worse than he had the day before; even going to the bathroom was a real effort.

Elgar bought him his breakfast and the paper and he gaped at the article before reading:

 **Harry Potter: Dead or Alive?**

 **By Marsha Wood**

 **We at the Prophet have been speculating the whereabouts of our once young hero for the past 2 months and have yielded no results. His home address away from school is one of the best kept secrets in the wizarding world and we simply assumed that he would return to school after the summer break had finished. But that was not the case.**

 **According to an anonymous source within the school Potter did not show for the start of term and it seems that no one knows where he is, even Albus Dumbledore appears to be in the dark or he is keeping secrets from us all.**

 **So where is young Mr Potter? Has he been killed and it is being kept quiet or is he truly simply missing? We at the Prophet are keen for any information regarding the status of Mr Potter and are offering a 1000 Galleon reward to anyone who provides information that leads to Mr Potter being found.**

Harry folded up the paper and placed it on the bedside table. The article had Fudge's work all over it and Harry had no doubt that the minister was in it for his own gain.

He shook his head and ate his breakfast before reading as much as he could before he would fall asleep again as he knew he would.

The following week saw the prophet speculating further on his fate. Several people had come forward claiming they had seen him, some as far away as South America.

He began to look forward to the daily paper. It entertained him to no end reading the different theories that they were coming up with. His favourite was that he had taken a holiday to a Veela conclave and had either lost track of time or had died from exhaustion.

'If only they knew the truth' he chuckled to himself.

It wasn't until the tenth day of his ordeal that he began to feel better again. It had lasted much longer than he or Arcturus had anticipated it would but he was glad that it was now coming to an end. He had achieved a large amount of academic work but he was beginning to get restless and couldn't wait until he could get back to training. He knew it would take another couple of days but he could wait.

His keenness saw him able to begin training again on the 13th day. He could have started a couple of days before but Arcturus insisted he waited to be sure. With his resting days over he had a lot of catching up to do.

 _(BREAK)_

On the surface, the first two weeks at Hogwarts hadn't differed much to the previous years but there was a definite undercurrent of tension felt by all. The professors taught their classes as normal and the schedule within the castle was the same. It was the rumours of the return of Tom Riddle and the placement of Dolores Umbridge as the new defence professor that had created the atmosphere within the school.

It was clear to all in the castle that Umbridge was not there to teach anything useful to the students, She was there as Fudges' lackey and nothing more.

Her lessons were the worst any had ever attended, if they could be called lessons at all. The classes were all instructed to do the same thing regardless of age and ability. They all read from the same book and questions were simply brushed aside. She clearly favoured the pureblood students, that was undeniable but her favour was given more so to those in Slytherin house. Thus the tension between the houses was more prevalent and became more so as each day passed.

Dolores Umbridge sat in her office contemplating her situation. She had no desire to be at Hogwarts surrounded by insolent little brats. She truly hated children, they disgusted her beyond comprehension.

However, she was if anything a very shrewd and intelligent woman. She was not particularly gifted in any branch of magic but her cunning and ability to work situations to her advantage had seen her rise to her very senior position within the ministry. She knew that being at Hogwarts was advantageous for her. From here should could glean much information and learn everything she needed to ensure her position no matter the outcome.

She hated Dumbledore and was more than a little envious of his achievements but she was no fool. She knew there had to be some truth to what he had been saying in regards to the return of the Dark Lord and decided she would take a wait and see approach and Hogwarts was perfect for that. Here she could be away from the ministry and out of the direct line of fire that would surely be aimed there. Here she could quietly gain favour with students who she knew had family who had been aligned with the Dark Lord and here she could remain somewhat neutral. She was no Death Eater but she sympathised with much of the pureblood doctrine they spouted. She as a pureblood herself could see the benefits of the Dark Lord seizing control and implementing new laws and an infrastructure that she could truly gain from.

She may not have been a Death Eater but she did harbour her own cruel tendencies, tendencies that she could indulge in while she was at Hogwarts and none would be the wiser if she played her hand correctly.

She enjoyed seeing people suffer. Not suffer in an obvious way of outright torture but a way that would see them suffer over a period of time. Her weapon of choice was a blood quill and she knew she would get an opportunity at the school to use it.

The atmosphere within the wizarding world was enough to distract most from the tall tales told by a child. And if the little brats seemed that they would talk then a memory charm would suffice, she would just need to be cautious about how much she would use the quill. It would not do to cause permanent scarring and have questions asked.

Yes Hogwarts, despite the presence of annoying children was the perfect place for her to be.

The other problem she was facing was what on earth had happened to the Potter boy. She had always been curious as to how a little halfblood baby could have been the cause of the fall of the Dark Lord. She was curious to meet him and not just because Fudge wanted him found. She wanted to see for herself what was so special about him. Was he truly powerful enough to do what he had at such a young age? Or was he simply mediocre as she had heard from Fudge and Lucius Malfoy? She did not take anything Malfoy said as gospel. In all honesty she found him to be a pompous moron who spent far too much time looking in the mirror and kissing the arse of anyone who could better his position.

To her he was nothing more than a glorified bootlicker but he had become a powerful one and he certainly needed to be pandered to to an extent.

The Potter mystery certainly had her flummoxed. But seeing as he didn't arrive at Hogwarts all she could do at this point in time was to wait to see if he would emerge from the woodwork or if his corpse would appear somewhere.

She had both Granger and Weasley in her office at the earliest possible opportunity and with the help of veritaserum and memory charms had learnt an awful lot about the young man but they had no idea where he was or if he was definitely alive. Waiting was all she could do here and now and while she was waiting she would have some fun for herself.

 _(BREAK)_

The two weeks since the teenagers had left his home had been the most peaceful Sirius Black had had for many years. With the departure of the children the rest of the Weasely's had returned to their own home much to the pleasure of the remaining occupant of Grimmauld Place. The one problem with the peace was the new sense of worry he felt. He was aware that Harry had not returned to school and this had him concerned.

Remus had left on an errand for Dumbledore and had been gone over a week leaving the other marauder alone for much of the time.

Members of the order would stop by from time to time but Sirius suspected it was only to ensure that he had not left or done something foolish. He had been tempted but knew that it would be unwise and he wanted to be there for Harry when he came out of hiding. Sirius had no desire to go back to Azkaban and he knew he was safe behind the walls of the Black home. He spent most of his time in the library preparing for the inevitable battles that would take place. He knew he would and could be useful against the Death Eaters and pledged himself to studying and practicing. It had been a long time since his Auror days and he was certainly out of shape and not as sharp as he once was. That would have to change and while he had the time, he would hone his skills to the best of his ability.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry had just completed his first day of training since his magical maturity had finished and he was quite astounded at the difference in himself. Physically, he did not tire as he did and his stamina and endurance had increased tenfold.

In regards to his magic he was at first disappointed in the effects of his curses but soon realised that said effects were not based on power. A curse was simply a curse and would run its course regardless of power and could not be influenced by adding further magical power to it. The key difference was in the counter-cursing. It took much more power to counter the curse if more power was added to it and Harry knew this was quite a development.

The real difference he noticed was in his impact spells and spells that had a physical effect. His bludgeoning hex was the first he attempted in this category and noticed the difference in power and damage immediately. Instead of the dummy that was hit gliding across the floor at high speed and hitting the wall it simply flew through the air and crashed into wall breaking several bones.

He saw the same in his fire and water spells. Instead of a stream of reasonable force his wand would erupt in what could only be described as a geyser of his chosen element.

His conjuring was much easier also. He still had to visualise what he wanted to the same extent but the use of magic felt much less and did not leave him drained as it had previously.

Overall, Harry was very happy with the unexpected increases he had and believed even more so that he was no longer an average wizard. He had seen the spells performed by other wizards and witches and none he had seen even came close to what he was now capable of.

He was very aware however that power was only one aspect of being a great wizard. Mostly it was down to skill and winning a fight was not solely dependent on the amount of power one possessed and he knew that he had to at least equal his power with the skill in which he wielded it with. He would not slack and rely on his power but he would train even harder knowing that he had quite the gap to close.

Harry was interrupted from his reflections by the arrival of Arcturus who was looking as stoic as ever. The older man looked thoughtfully at the spell damage in the room and the fresh scorch marks on the walls and floor.

"How do you feel?" he asked the teen who looked surprisingly fresh.

"I feel fine sir" Harry replied. "I don't feel tired how I usually would by now and my spells are a lot more powerful" he added.

The older man looked appraisingly at the boy and nodded in his usual way.

"Show me" he stated simply.

Harry obliged by demonstrating his spell work and the more noticeable differences in it.

"Impressive" Arcturus said in an almost praising tone. "What about your curses?" he asked.

"They are much harder to counter" Harry answered frowning, "But they don't work any faster than normal, that's because they work based on time and not power" he finished.

"I see you've been reading up on your theory" the older man replied neutrally.

"Yes sir, I don't want to disappoint my parents" Harry explained shyly.

Arcturus nodded his head again at the boys reasoning. Inside he was pleased that he had begun to dedicate himself to his studies and knew he would do well as expected if he continued this way.

"Show me you flame whip" Arcturus requested.

This was a spell that had taken a fair amount of practice for Harry to produce and one he had not tried throughout his training that day.

To his surprise he managed it with much more ease than he had anticipated and the whip was considerably longer and thicker than he had managed to conjure before.

"Good" Arcturus said simply. "You will need to practice with that to master controlling it and also work more on conjuring and banishing objects, it can be a very effective weapon if mastered" he remarked knowingly.

"Yes sir" Harry answered simply.

"Now that is out of the way I need you to accompany me on a small trip" Arcturus began seriously. "It seems that our friend Riddle has been recruiting and one of my elves have informed me of some new guests in our country and I want you to come and see what you will be up against in due course" he explained further.

Harry knew from Arcturus tone that this was something serious and adopted the impassive mask that had been taught to him by the man. He placed his wands in his holsters and indicated that he was ready. The older man took him by the arm and with a pop they had vanished.

The duo appeared in a forest that Harry could tell was close to the sea. He could smell the salt in the air and hear the distant crashing of waves on to a rocky shore. He began casting charms on himself to hide his scent and cancel the sound of his footsteps; he didn't disillusion himself knowing that he needed to be seen by his companion.

The older man nodded and cast the same spells on himself and began leading the way in to the thicker and deeper parts of the wooded area.

They walked on in silence for what seemed to be miles and eventually Harry began to hear the sounds of activity ahead of them. In the distance he could see an area lit by fire and cautiously followed the older man to the outskirts of a clearing.

What he saw in the clearing shocked him to his core.

Three men were sat in the clearing, one in which Harry recognised as Buckbeak's would be executioner, Macnair. The other two men were dressed in black robes and were sat around the fire but it wasn't the men that had Harry worried.

Around the men sat a collection of around twenty giants, completely brutal looking and bigger than he could ever have imagined. He looked at Arcturus questioningly and the older man shook his head in resignation.

Things now seemed even more real to the boy. He knew now that this was a real war and it wasn't only Riddle that would be a problem. It made him wonder what else he was up to and what other creatures he had managed to bring to his side.

He was distracted by the biggest of the giants as he stood and stretched tiredly. It was not the giant itself that had distracted but what was attached to his hip by a crude and blood-soaked rope. They were heads, bigger than the average human but not as big as a giant. It was then that Harry recognised them.

The faces had been quite badly mutilated but the shaggy hair and beard of one was familiar and it did not take a genius to figure out who the other had belonged to.

He felt a wave of emotion overcome him; he felt sick, upset and extremely angry. He felt the magic rolling of him in waves in his fury as did Arcturus who moved in to calm down the boy.

"No" the older man whispered dangerously. "All you will achieve is us being killed and it will be for nothing" he said through gritted teeth.

Harry swallowed back the emotion hard and nodded at the older man but felt no better. He knew war would be gruesome but he had not expected to see the head of his first ever friend worn as an accessory, as a trophy as casually as it was. He would never forget the sight of the remaining appendage of Rubeus Hagrid, gentle half-giant, adorning the hip of a giant. And although he did not know Madame Maxime well, he felt a wave of sadness for her also knowing she had died trying to prevent Riddle gaining further allies.

He was shaken from his stupor by Arcturus who took him by the arm and dragged them away to a safe distance where he could apparate them home.

They appeared again in the training room where Harry immediately removed his wand and fired a blasting hex at the dummy that exploded in to thousands of tiny pieces. He breathed heavily in his rage and it took some time for him to calm down to a point that he could listen to Arcturus.

"I did not know we would see that" he explained to the fuming teen. "Dumbledore had no reason to send him to them, he must have known it was useless" he finished shaking his head.

"He didn't deserve to die like that" Harry replied attempting to keep the emotion out of his voice. "He was a good man and wouldn't harm a fly" he added sadly.

"Then he has no place in a war" Arcturus declared. "He should have been smart enough to keep out of it, he was too loyal to Dumbledore and his loyalty and inability and lack of skill got him killed. You see what it is you are up against now?" he questioned not wanting an answer.

Harry said nothing but used the moment of silence to compose himself. He would make them pay for what they had done to his friend. He was both sad and angry and each emotion was fighting for dominance but Harry would allow none to win. He schooled his features in to his impassive mask before he spoke.

"They will pay" he stated with a cold edge to his voice.

"You will need to know how to kill a giant" the older man replied. "Go and read your grandfathers' journal from June 1915 you will see how he used to do it" the older man explained.

Harry moved to exit the room feeling the need to be alone becoming overwhelming, but he was stopped before he could reach the door by the older man.

"This has happened sooner than expected but the war has still barely begun" he explained. "We still have time but we need to start putting things together" he continued. "I think it is time for a family reunion both to get some allies and to rock the boat a little" he finished with a cruel smile.

Harry nodded and made his way to his room. As he closed the door behind him the first tear sprung from his eye and he no longer tried to hold it back. He felt no shame in crying for the loss of his giant friend and would grieve in his moments alone, but he would be damned if he allowed anyone to see it. He knew being compassionate was not a weakness as such but he knew that concealing any and all emotions would be beneficial to him and had decided some time ago to hide them all. He would feel but he would not show, that was his promise to himself.

When he was alone however he would release the emotions he felt whether it be; anger, sadness, joy or happiness.

He wept a little more for his friend before retrieving the journal he had been instructed to and quickly found what he was looking for and began to read.

 _June 13_ _th_ _1915_

 _I encountered and fought my first giant today and let me say that what you read and hear does no justice to them at all. They are truly a sight to behold and a fight I will never forget. They are very tough and resistant to almost all magic. The only spell that worked effectively was my flame whip but even that was not enough. To defeat a giant you need to use physical attacks and aim for the legs and head. I wasted a lot of time trying to curse the beast and the spells did nothing. I managed to conjure and banish metal spheres to bring it to its knees after they eventually broke and sent countless arrows into its torso and head. It did not stop fighting until I removed its head by banishing a large sword I had conjured at its neck. That in itself took a lot of power and I would not recommend it unless you know you are a capable wizard._

Harry now understood why Arcturus had instructed him to work on his conjuring, banishing and flame whip further. He placed the journal back in his grandfathers' trunk and got into bed. He felt a sense of numbness overcome him as the death of Hagrid sunk in. He would make sure his friend did not die in vain and vowed to himself that he would do all he could to make sure he could limit the advantage the giants would have in battle even if he had to take them all down himself.

He shuddered at that thought and slowly fell in to an uneasy slumber knowing that the war was beginning to shape into something that would not be easily concluded.

 **A/N**

 **Another chapter in the bag and now the story is moving forward with some speed. I wanted to emphasise the fact that yes Harry is powerful but it will not be his power that will always be the difference maker. He is training hard and will continue to do so. The main reason I made him more powerful than average is simply because Voldemort is and according to the prophecy Harry is his equal and partly because of his blood and heritage, he is the hero of the story after all. I got the idea of the magical maturity from** _ **'Sunset over Britain'**_ **and definitely recommend that as a read if you haven't already. I did not want to make it as big a deal in this fic though so slightly brushed over it. It was a means to an end.**

 **TBR**


	6. Family Issues

**A/N (Edited for readability)**

 **So it's time for another chapter and again I want to thank everyone for their reviews. I wanted the character of Umbridge to have a little more depth to her that we didn't get in canon. She did what she did without us ever really getting any reason except that she worshipped Fudge. I just thought that a woman in her position would be more the way I described her so I just went with it. I didn't kill Hagrid off for any other reason than to help with Harrys' development and had the opportunity to do so with the giants and the fact he was someone who was close to him. Fair warning, there will be more deaths coming and some I know people will not be happy with. Anyway on with the story and please favourite, follow and review as usual.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 6: Family Issues

Halloween had come quickly for both Harry and Arcturus and the last six weeks had been busy. Something within the boy had changed since the night they had seen the giants and the change was one all too familiar for the older man. The boy was simply no longer a boy. He carried himself differently, he trained with complete abandon and he never once revealed even an ounce of what he was feeling. He had truly mastered hiding his emotions and the older man couldn't help but think that his long past friend had risen from the dead and was possessing the young man in front of him.

Yes, the final part of Harrys' childhood innocence was gone and he seemed to have come full circle. He had become what he needed to and the older man now believed he could not only survive, he believed he could win.

For Harry the changes had come naturally. For the first time in his life he felt as though he could and was being the way he was intended to be without the neglect and constant criticism he had received throughout his life. He hadn't made any conscious changes but he did notice them himself. He was no longer shy and meek. He was quietly confident and felt even more so as each day passed. The last month and a half had seen him grow in every way in leaps and bounds and he was very proud of himself.

Physically he was healthy, fit and strong. He had grown to be almost six feet tall and the training he had been doing had packed on considerable muscle mass especially when he compared himself to his previously under-nourished frame. He was a true athlete and one would only need to look in to his eyes to see the differences. His eyes continuously glowed with a gently dancing but bright emerald flame but that gentle flame would become a roaring inferno in an instant at his will. Now that his magic was stable and strong his body finally reflected it and his spell work was now simply phenomenal.

He was very fast and powerful and moved with the same grace he had seen his grandfather move with. He worked tirelessly on his magic; creating spell chains and combinations that were devastating.

He knew he was not ready to face Riddle yet but he knew that even now he would give any of his follower's serious problems in a fight and was confident he would soon be capable of defeating any of them.

He had begun training to face multiple opponents and had found his family magic was perfect for this type of fighting. He excelled in combat situations and when he watched himself back through the pensieve he himself couldn't believe that the young man he was seeing was himself.

Seeing the severed head of his friend had truly woken him to the reality of war and that reality had created what he had become. He was now a warrior and he knew that Tom Riddle would rue the day he went after the Potter's. If it was the last thing he did Harry would avenge those of his blood, those who were taken from him all too soon.

He had decided weeks before that he wanted to visit his parents and his grandparent's grave on this day. If anything he wanted to see where they rested and pay his respects to those who he had finally gotten to know over the last several months. He wasn't seeking closure on their deaths; he knew he wouldn't get it until the day he ended Riddle.

He hadn't broached the subject with the older man yet but he knew he would not deny him. Arcturus may be a surly git most of the time but he understood the worth and value of family.

Harry made his way into the drawing room as he did every day to have his breakfast and the usual short chat with the older man. He entered the room silently, took his seat and helped himself to his oats and fruit. When the older man said nothing for a few minutes it was Harry who broke the silence.

"Where are my family buried?" he asked neutrally.

The older man did not look at all surprised by the question but looked at his younger companion critically before answering.

"They will be buried in the Potter mausoleum in Godrics' Hollow" the older man replied with a frown. "Have you never been?" he asked in a quietly dangerous voice that Harry knew meant that he was displeased.

"No sir, my aunt and uncle never took me and no one has ever told me before. All I know is that my parents were murdered on Halloween and I was taken to them" he answered casually.

"And you want to go" Arcturus stated.

"Tonight" was the reply he received.

The older man looked at Harry and knew there was no stopping him even if he wanted to. He had become sure of himself and even stubborn the same way Charlus was.

He shook his head at young man but nodded at his request.

"We will go later tonight but it could be risky, the ministry or Riddle could be keeping watch on the place. I will send Elgar to scout it out for the day and if necessary we will come up with a way we can go without being bothered" he finished.

"Thank you sir" Harry said respectfully. "I really do appreciate it".

They continued their breakfast in silence until the older man had finished. He sent Elgar to watch the graveyard before opening a letter that had been delivered to him during the meal.

"Ahh the letters will be going out today so we will be having our meeting tomorrow" he intoned with a steely glint in his eye.

Harry just nodded at the man. He was looking forward to seeing Sirius again but knew this was not going to be the happy reunion with his godfather he had hoped for.

This was family business and Harry knew that it was going to be tense especially with the occupants not having been in a room together for many years.

He finished his breakfast and made his way to start his training for the day. He wanted the day to pass quickly as he was both eager and nervous about visiting the final resting place of his family.

The next couple of days would be interesting at the very least for Harry Potter.

 _(BREAK)_

Today found Sirius Black in a very sombre and depressed mood. 14 years ago to the day his life had plummeted into the downward spiral that would haunt him forever. He lost his best friend and his wife and because of his own actions he had lost his godson also.

Sirius Black was innocent of the crimes he had been sent to Azkaban for but in his own heart he knew he was guilty. He was guilty of recklessness that had seen his one chance at redemption be squandered by his own actions. He was guilty of abandoning the boy he loved as his own son and he was guilty of letting his friends down in the duty he had promised to them if such events were to occur. He knew he would always carry that guilt with him and wished nothing more than to be able to turn back time and change what happened that night.

Alas, he knew that was not possible. Instead he wished for one more chance to be there for Harry the way he should always have been. He wished that he could have raised him in the loving home he would have had with him. And more than anything, he wished he was with the boy right now so he could keep him safe from what he knew was coming.

The past six weeks had seen Sirius at the busiest he had ever been. He trained morning, noon and night and began taking care of himself. He ate regular meals and would sleep soundly due to the exhaustion he would feel at the end of every day. He looked and felt healthier than he had in years. He was no longer emaciated and sallow skinned and his hair was sleek and shiny as it once was. The only thing that remained that demonstrated the hellish years in Azkaban was the haunted look in his eyes, a look that would forever be there.

It had taken a while for him to recover, much longer than he had anticipated. He hadn't expected his magic to be so badly affected by his stay in Azkaban but it had taken several weeks for it to stabilize and be the way it once was. He had honed his skills so that he was now at least on par with what they used to be.

Sirius Black was a skilled wizard and was no slouch in a fight. He hadn't learnt his family magic due to its dark nature but he had learnt more than enough to take people down when he needed to, he was a Black after all.

He was currently sat at the breakfast table contemplating how he would spend his day. He didn't want to train knowing his heart really wasn't in it today but he did not want to be idle either.

Before he could decide his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp tapping on the window. He frowned at the owl knowing that is was not likely to be good news. He opened the window to allow the bird access and as soon as he relieved it of its burden it exited immediately.

He recognised the wax seal of Gringotts and felt his stomach give an involuntary quiver. He knew this was not going to be a good thing. He thought for a moment before continuing. He knew he didn't owe the bank money as he had never had a loan and lived only on his salary and the gold his uncle Alphard had left him.

He knew he wasn't due to inherit anything as he had been cast out of his family at the age of sixteen by his mother.

He was at a loss and decided that opening it was his only option. What he read surprised him greatly but also made him nervous.

 _Dear Mr Black,_

 _I am writing to you as the Goblin in charge of the Black accounts here at Gringotts. It seems that there are many things that need to be discussed pertaining to family business and other sensitive affairs that shall not be mentioned in writing. I request an audience with yourself tomorrow at 6pm to discuss these most urgent matters. I am aware of your current status and have therefore turned this letter in to a portkey that will place you outside the designated room in which we will meet at the time mentioned above. You have a magical vow that this is no trap and you will be safe within our walls from capture._

 _Yours in service,_

 _Barchoke_

 _Black Family account manager_

The letter glowed a bright blue sealing the vow and the man simply stared at the piece of parchment in shock and as a nervous wreck. He did not know what to make of the letter but knew it was not wise to ignore a request for a meeting from the goblins. He would have to attend in secret of course but now he was truly curious. He sat back at the table and continued to ponder what business the goblins could possibly have with him.

 _(BREAK)_

Andromeda Tonks arrived to work in her usual fashion. She sat her desk and looked over case notes for the coming week before fetching her morning coffee. Despite the setbacks in her life she had become a very successful lawyer and was proud of what she achieved.

At the age of 18 she had fled her family home when it was announced that she was to be married off to a man she had not chosen. She had already found love and had spent the last 3 years hiding it from her family because they would never approve of her choice in man. Her now husband Ted was a muggleborn and her being a Black meant that he would not be an acceptable choice.

She had always been proud of her heritage and proud that she had been born into a prominent family but her pride ended at the bigotry her family was well known for. She held nothing against anyone who was not born into a wizarding family and did not buy into the pureblood supremacy that was prevalent in the wizarding community. Her husband himself had always been talented and very intelligent and he and her complimented each other well.

Their daughter had inherited talents beyond both of them and seemed to have taken the best of both of their genes. Not only was she powerful in her own right but she had inherited the metamorph ability from the Black line. She was a fine auror and Andromeda was proud of her only child.

Despite the happiness she felt she regretted that all but one member of her family had turned their backs on her but she remained stubborn and married Ted Tonks anyway. Her cousin Sirius was the only one who had remained in contact with her and he maintained that contact until he went to Azkaban.

Andromeda had always been unsure of her cousins' guilt. She knew that James was nothing less than a brother to him and he truly idolised Lily Potter and respected her. She had tried to visit him on several occasions just to ascertain whether he was guilty or innocent but she had been rebuffed on every attempt. She had even been unsuccessful in trying to obtain the paperwork pertaining to her cousin, being told that it was senior ministry staff and for auror access only.

She had long resigned herself to the fact that she would get nowhere in her line of inquiries so she simply let it rest. To her it would be one of those things she had no control over and one of those things that would have to remain a mystery.

She had had a fairly happy childhood made easier by her two sisters who she had adored. Her older sister Bella was beautiful, intelligent and a fierce duellist and growing up, Andromeda had always wanted to be like her. She trained with her throughout her younger years and they would gossip as all young girls would but that changed when Bella returned to Hogwarts for her seventh year.

She had been seduced by the pureblood movement headed by You-Know-Who and had started to become what she was now known for; an insane killer.

It had broken Andromeda's heart to see her sister take the path she had chosen and no matter how much she pleaded with her older sibling, she knew her mind had already been made up.

Her younger sister Narcissa was always the favoured and spoilt one. Being the youngest she would always get away with everything and would charm anyone she came across. She was a talented witch in her own right but favoured potions and charms above duelling. Andromeda always believed that she would make a fine healer but that wasn't to be.

Her father had matched her with Lucius Malfoy and any hopes and dreams the youngest Black sister had, died with that match. She had become nothing more than a trophy and had truly adopted the life of a Malfoy. She looked down on everyone and became a snob and an emotionless shell of what she once was.

She had spent her life wasting away in an over-sized house and only left to shop or attend events draped on the arm of her buffoon of a husband. To Andromeda, the stagnation of her sister was wasteful and the wizarding world could have benefited from a woman with her skill and the care she had once shown.

She returned to her desk to begin her work day and had barely begun to put together her most current case when she was interrupted by a gentle tapping on the window. Thinking it was a new case she opened the window to admit the bird. It wasn't until the owl had left that she recognised the Gringotts seal. She had already received her monthly statement so was confused as to what the letter could include. She opened it and was completely shocked by the contents.

 _Dear Mrs Tonks nee Black,_

 _I am writing to you as the Goblin in charge of the Black accounts here at Gringotts. It seems that there are many things that need to be discussed pertaining to family business and other sensitive affairs that shall not be mentioned in writing. I request an audience with yourself tomorrow at 6:30pm to discuss these most urgent matters. I would ask that you also bring your daughter Nymphadora Tonks and husband Theodore Tonks as the business discussed is likely to affect them also._

 _Yours in service,_

 _Barchoke_

 _The Black family account manager_

The letter had Andromeda worried. Was it possible that her father had somehow created a marriage contract for her daughter without her knowledge? Or was it possible that it pertained to herself? She was no longer a Black and hadn't been for 25 years. She knew it was unlikely to be anything good and could only hope that whatever it was it was not detrimental to her family.

She quickly put everything away and grabbed the letter to head home. She had to inform her family of this development and plan accordingly.

 _(BREAK)_

The mood within the castle had shifted from an undertone of tenseness to one of caution for many. The appointment of Umbridge had led to many strange happenings. Educational degrees had been implemented for several trivial reasons and those in the school bright enough to understand knew it was done to control them and dampen any kind of spirit.

People would be given detention with the toad and return confused and could not remember what they had done in the time spent with her. Hermione, not having served a detention with the woman had taken her concerns to McGonagall but had been told to keep her head down and let the storm pass.

The professors were worried. The students who had attended the detentions had shown signs of having their memory modified but they knew it would be difficult to prove unless they caught the woman in the act. Their positions themselves were precarious at best and were undergoing inspections by the odious woman. They were in no position to investigate fearing for their own livelihoods. Although it was upsetting and worrying the children did recover and there had so far been no physical evidence apparent to them. For now they knew if they wanted to retain their jobs they had to simply wait for this to pass and hope that it would be over soon.

The cardigan-clad woman had firmly pressed her will on all in castle and the days had become dark indeed under her tyranny.

Today was the day that Hermione and Ron had been planning for several weeks now. They knew to pass their OWLS and to be able to defend themselves when the time was right they needed to be taught properly. They had taken it upon themselves to start a group in which they and their peers could study together what they would need to pass their exams and be able hold their own in a fight.

The castle was in a much better spirit today as the students would get a respite from the rules the toad had implemented. It was the first Hogsmeade trip and the duo along with Neville and Ginny had chosen today to hold their meeting to garner interest in their plan.

They had spent the last several weeks quietly putting out word of their idea to people they knew they could trust. All in all they were expecting around 15 people to attend.

They were currently sat in the Hogs Head pub in the north of the village waiting for people to arrive. They had chosen this bar hoping it was far enough away from prying ears knowing that very few people came here.

They had only been sat with their drinks for around five minutes when the door opened and a group of around 30 students led by Fred, George and Lee Jordan entered the pub. There were students from all houses including a few Slytherins.

Upon seeing the group Hermione stormed towards the twins clearly panicked.

"How many people did you tell" she hissed at them quietly.

"Only a few" George replied shrugging.

"It seems that your plan is much more popular than you thought it would be Miss Granger" Fred said with an impish grin. "Bar keep" he yelled. "Butterbeers all round" he finished gesturing to the group and took a seat next to his brother where the rest of the students had assembled.

"What the hell are the snakes doing here?" Ron questioned angrily. "You know they can't be trusted".

"Well little brother of mine" Fred intoned, wrapping an arm around his younger brothers' shoulders, "It seems that Miss Greengrass here overheard us talking about it in the library and insisted that her and her two companions be allowed to join" he explained.

"Yes she was very insistent" George cut in. "My left cheek is still ringing from that hex" he added rubbing his posterior.

"They can't be trusted" Ron reiterated angrily.

"Oh shut up Weasely" Daphne interrupted. "If we wanted to drop you in it it would be Umbridge here instead of us" she pointed out.

Before Ron could reply Hermione chimed in.

"It's ok Ron" she said attempting to placate the irate red head. "I have runes and Arithmancy with Daphne and Tracey, I'm sure it will be fine" she finished not sounding overly sure of herself.

"Well I don't trust them and they will drop us in it the first chance they get" Ron growled.

"Can we just get on with it" Neville piped up irritably. "It would be bad if we were caught here like this".

"Fine, fine" Hermione said and went on to explain the idea to the group.

"So I was thinking that the older years could help us with our OWLS and we could all chip in on everything else" she concluded.

The group remained silent lost in their own thoughts. They all knew what Granger had suggested made sense and that they had a much better chance of passing their exams if they worked together. It was a much better prospect than relying on Umbridge and her sorry idea of what teaching was.

"If Harry was here I would have got him to teach us" Hermione said breaking the silence.

"Potter?" Tracey Davis broke in. "What could he teach us we don't already know?" she asked. "And is he even alive?", "Surely you know something, he is your best friend".

There was a majority agreement within the group demonstrated by rigorous nodding by many.

"Harry is by far the best at defence in our year and has actual experience" Ron answered irritably.

"What because he defeated a Dark Lord before he could hold a wand?" Astoria Greengrass asked. "It was luck, not skill".

"He didn't mean that experience" Hermione retorted angrily and quickly put her hand over her mouth once she realised her mistake. "And no, none of us have heard from him since before he went in the maze" she answered sadly.

"Well what experience did he mean?" Daphne asked neutrally.

The Weasleys' and Hermione shared a look until the brown haired girl nodded in resignation. She felt compelled to defend her friend and even though she knew it would bother him that she would explain what he had seen and done, she felt it was necessary if only to show there was some hope in this dark time.

"Remember our first year?" she asked the group. "We were told to stay away from the third floor corridor which we did but we found out someone was trying to steal something that was hidden there".

"What was it?" Susan Bones asked curiously.

"The philosophers' stone" Hermione almost whispered.

"You expect us to believe that the stone was at Hogwarts?" Marietta Edgecombe asked sceptically.

"It was" Hermione answered simply. "Professor Quirrell tried to steal it and Harry stopped him" She explained.

"You mean that stuttering moron who barely knew his arse from his elbow?" Lee Jordan asked.

"He was possessed by You-Know-Who" George answered.

Lee looked at his friend but didn't question him further. The twins had a knack for knowing almost everything about Hogwarts. The room was stunned by the proclamation and it took several moments for the silence to be broken.

"How did he stop him" Hannah Abbott asked quietly.

"We don't really know" Hermione answered. "But Harry killed him and was unconscious for almost a week after" she added.

"That's why you all got those last minute points" Daphne said suddenly in realisation.

"Yes it is" Hermione replied nodding.

"And there was second year" Ron pointed out.

"What, when all those students got petrified and none of us were told what happened?" a 6th year Hufflepuff asked.

Hermione just nodded her answer remembering the big yellow eyes of the basilisk.

"Someone opened the chamber of secrets and there was a basilisk inside, that's what was petrifying everyone" she explained.

"So the chamber is real?" Daphne asked in awe.

"Yes, the entrance is in moaning mytles' bathroom" she replied.

When no one spoke, not even to demonstrate their disbelief she continued.

"You have to be a parseltongue to open it, that's how Harry got in but it wasn't him petrifying anyone it was You-Know-Who again".

"And how did he manage that, he's dead" the same Hufflepuff boy interjected.

"I don't know but he did" Hermione said irritably.

"How do you know that then" he questioned equally annoyed.

"Because it was me that Harry saved from there" Ginny cut in looking upset. "I was taken in the chamber and Harry came in and killed the basilisk" she said fighting back tears.

"That basilisk must have been hundreds of years old and huge, how did he manage that" Tracey asked frowning.

"With a sword, he killed it with a sword and the help of a phoenix that blinded it" Ginny answered emotionally.

"You really expect us to believe that?" the Hufflepuff huffed disbelievingly. "Pull the other one Weasley".

"He did" Ginny retorted angrily. "The snake even bit him on the arm and the phoenix healed it" she added.

"So that's where he got that scar" Katie Bell piped up. "I asked him about it and he went quiet, I knew he didn't have it in first year" she said triumphantly. "I thought he got it at home or something" she finished.

At the mention of Harrys' home the teens in the know shared an awkward glance.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did" George growled angrily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Susan Bones asked.

"Let's just say Harry doesn't have the life we all thought he did growing up" Fred said. "He was raised by his muggle relatives and they are nothing but bastards. They treated Harry like a damn elf and barely fed the poor kid, we had to rescue him half-starved after his first year" he finished shaking in an unusual rage.

The assembled group were shocked by what they had heard and none could find any words to say to that final piece of information. The awkward silence remained until it was broken by the pompous Hufflepuff.

"And what else has Potter done that is so great" he asked sarcastically but with a little envy in his voice.

"Well you all saw him in the tournament and how well he did against seventh year students with a lot more magical education than him" Neville answered.

"And he can cast a corporeal patronus" Ron added.

"Bullshit" the Hufflepuff cut in. "Most grown wizards can't even do that" he pointed out.

"Harry can" Hermione said quietly. "I saw him drive away a hundred Dementors in our third year".

"Why would Potter have to do that" Tracey asked. "Apart from that quidditch match they stayed away" she said.

"They did, but they tried to attack Harry and his godfather at the end of the year and he drove them away" she explained coyly.

"Hold on, if Potter has a godfather then why does he live with those horrible muggles?" Susan asked.

Hermione and the Weasleys' shared a sheepish look knowing that this was likely to be the icing on the cake for those in attendance.

"His godfather is Sirius Black" Hermione finally explained.

If the room had been shocked before it was nothing compared to the shock they were feeling now. Harry Potters' godfather was the infamous mass murderer?

"Why would Harry save him?" Susan asked. "He betrayed his parents, everyone knows that" she said.

"Sirius is innocent" George cut in. "It was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed them, he's been hiding in his animagus form for years" he stated not elaborating further.

The room was completely silent once again so Hermione took the opportunity to move the conversation away from Sirius not wanting any more attention on that particular subject.

"Harry is the most powerful wizard I know, he is up there with both Dumbledore and You-Know-who but he has been quashed his whole life by his relatives. That's why he is so quiet and not very confident but believe me he comes through every time when it counts" She intoned. "I don't know where he is or even if he is alive but if he is I can promise he will do everything he can to stop him. I believe Dumbledore, he has no reason to lie to us. Why do you think the ministry has put Umbridge here and why do you think they are trying to discredit Dumbledore?" she asked. "It's because they are scared of the truth" She elaborated before she could be cut off. "Why do you think they want to find Harry so badly? It's because they know that he is the person everyone will look to when it all goes badly" She added. "It may have been luck when he was a baby, but he isn't a baby anymore" She finished breathlessly.

"That's why we want to have this study group" Neville continued. "We need to be ready for exams and for what's out there, because right now we would last less than a minute in any duel" he admitted.

"Swear on it" the Hufflepuff demanded.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked the boy confused.

"Swear on your magic that everything you have told us is true" he demanded again looking smug.

Without hesitating Hermione removed her wand, but before she could say a word she was cut off by Neville.

"You don't have to do that Hermione" he said placing his hand on her forearm.

"If it's the only way they believe me then I do" she answered sadly.

With that said she raised her wand and began to speak.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger, swear on my life and magic that everything I have said about Harry Potter in this meeting is true to the best of my knowledge, so mote it be" she intoned without hesitation, the golden glow surrounding her.

The group looked at her expectantly waiting for something to happen to the girl.

" _Lumos"_ she incanted, lighting the tip of her wand.

The group were once again shocked. They had not expected her to comply with the request the boy had made but she had and had been found to have been honest.

The shocked group would leave today with a very different opinion of Harry Potter and what they thought they knew of the boy. Many realised that they in fact never knew a thing about him. Despite sharing a school with him for four years he had always been quiet and reserved and always kept his circle of friends small.

A seed of hope had been planted within many and all they could do was wait it out and hope that Potter would be coming back and could once again do what he had as a baby but this time with a more permanent conclusion.

"We have a piece of parchment for everyone to sign, so sign it and pass it along" Hermione said handing the parchment to Fred. "I promise I will keep it safe and we will let you know when the first official meeting will be and where it is once we find a suitable place" she finished.

The students signed the parchment with little hesitation and as soon as it made its way back to Hermione they began to disperse. After the group had left Hermione sunk in to her seat exhausted.

"That went well" Neville said.

"It did" Hermione agreed. "I just wish we didn't have to explain so much about Harry" she said feeling guilty.

"He will understand" Neville replied placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you hadn't they would have left and we would have been back to where we were" he added.

"I know but I still feel bad for breaking his confidence" she explained sadly. "I hope he forgives me" she said almost to herself.

"I'm sure he will" Neville answered. "Now can we please get out of here this place is even creepier than the shrieking shack" he stated with a shudder.

And with that the group exited the bar to enjoy what was left of their time away from the castle. At the end of the day, they would be going back but they knew they had achieved something today and felt much better for it.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry had just finished his training day and was getting ready for his shower. He was both nervous and excited in his anticipation at finally getting to visit where his family were put to rest. He usually spent Halloween in quite the melancholy mood but today was different, today he would get to pay his respects and to finally get some closure. He wasn't the same as he had been in previous years, in fact his mood was one of determination. He felt more determined today than ever to give his family the over-due justice they deserved.

He finished showering and took his time getting dressed. He had chosen to wear a half buttoned khaki green shirt, a black vest, jeans and tan boots. He didn't want it to be a formal affair, the thought of his father laughing at him suited and booted did not appeal to him.

He caught sight of himself in the mirror and realised he needed to at the very least tidy up the facial hair that had quickly began to grow. He found that he liked it and that it made him look less child-like and more distinguished. He wore it as short stubble that blended to sides of his hair that he kept equally short. He kept his hair longer on top but just enough that he could control it with a simple messy style. He had found a really useful barbering spell in one of his grandfathers' journals, and with a little practice, he found that he was quite adept with it.

He made his way to the drawing room where Arcturus was waiting for him so they could eat before they would make their way to Godrics' Hollow. He entered the room and took his seat only to be frozen in place by a critical stare from the older man.

"Go and change in to a suit" he commanded simply.

Harry was about to protest but was cut off by the older man before any words could form on his lips.

"It doesn't have to be a formal thing but you will dress the part" he said firmly. "Charlus would hex you something silly if he was here and you went to visit their graves for the first time dressed like that" he pointed out.

Harry swallowed and nodded before exiting. He was back in the room ten minutes later wearing a navy blue ensemble with a plain white shirt and charcoal tie with a matching pea-coat. He waited for the nod of approval from Arcturus before he took his seat.

"We need to talk about tomorrow" the older man declared. "The letters were sent today and the meeting will take place tomorrow evening" he finished.

"Okay" Harry said confused. It wasn't like the older man to divulge details of his business with the teen.

"I want you to be there, but I have two requests" he said noting the surprise on the teen's face.

Harry just nodded in acknowledgement.

"Firstly" the older man began holding up a finger. "You will wear you cloak and only show yourself if I give you my permission, understood?" he asked with a stern tone.

"Yes sir" Harry replied a little sadly knowing he would be in the same room as his godfather and may not be able to speak to him.

"And secondly" Arcturus continued. "You stay hidden no matter what happens, this is family business and there's a chance it will become unpleasant but unless I give you my express permission you are to allow what will be to happen, do you understand?" he finished questioningly, glaring at the boy.

"I do sir" Harry answered sincerely.

He understood the importance of family business and knew any interference from him would incur quite the wrath of the oldest Black.

"Good" the older man replied, relaxing once again. "I think it is a good time to leave, Elgar reported no unusual people around the graveyard so it should hopefully go off without a hitch" he finished grabbing Harry by the arm.

They appeared on a quiet street in a village where a few Victorian style houses were dotted either side of the road. A church could be seen at the end of the road and Harry immediately understood why his parents would choose to live here. It was simply beautiful. There was a variety trees and lush green hills could be seen on the horizon. There was a smell of fresh pine and the air was thick and intoxicating.

The duo made their way in a casual pace towards the church where Harry knew the graveyard would be. Both were alert to their surroundings as had become their custom but they knew there was no threat, Harry could scarcely believe a tragedy such as the one 14 years ago could ever take place here. He felt a sense of familiarity with the village and he knew that something inside him recognised it as home.

They reached the entrance to the graveyard and passed through the kissing-gate that led on to a gently winding path that would take them through the entirety of the cemetery if they cared to follow it.

It was Charlus that led Harry to where the Potters' were buried.

Harry hesitated and found the hand of the older man on his shoulder. He looked up to see the usual stoic expression that he could see was forced a little.

"You take as long as you need" the older man said sincerely before walking away a respectable distance to allow the boy some much needed privacy.

The first grave he came to was that belonging to his grandmother. The tombstone was made of black granite adorned with the Potter crest and a beautiful gold cursive inscription;

 _Dorea Constance Potter_

 _Proud Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Healer_

 _Born 4/6/1925_

 _Died 12/10/1980_

 _Honour Thy Blood_

Harry knelt beside the stone and placed a hand upon it and took a little time to simply absorb the moment.

"I'm sorry that we didn't get much time together but from what I know, you would have been an amazing grandmother" he said quietly. "Your brother has told me all about you. How caring and kind you were and how you would kick my grandfathers' arse when he needed it" he added chuckling.

He became thoughtful in silence, thinking of what he knew about her from what he had been told and what he had seen in the pensieve.

"If I can find someone who is half the woman you are when this is all over I know I will have done very well for myself" he whispered placing a kiss on the granite before standing.

He removed his wand and conjured a bouquet of red roses, placing it in front of her tombstone before stepping back.

He moved to his left and came to the grave that was the final resting place of his grandfather. It looked very much the same as his grandmothers. It was the same black granite and gold lettering;

 _Baron Charlus Henry Potter_

 _Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Warrior_

 _Protector of our lands and people_

 _Born 23/7/1924_

 _Died 15/2/1981_

 _Honour Thy Blood_

Harry placed his hand on the granite as he had with his grandmother but remained on his feet. He became lost in his thoughts of how much the man had become an influence on him over the past months. He swallowed deeply before speaking knowing he had to be strong.

"You've made me proud of who I am and where I come from" he began. "I will carry the Potter name with pride and do everything in my power to be worthy of it" he added sincerely. "Even in death you have taught me more than I can ever thank you for and I cannot put into words how grateful I am. You have given me the chance to avenge my parents and make that bastard pay for what he did to you all, and he will pay. If it takes my dying breath to finish him I promise you that I will" he said firmly. "Look after them all where you are now as you did in life and there will be a day when I will join you, hopefully a long time from now" he finished.

He again removed his wand but this time conjured a marble figurine of a Thestral and placed it on top of the tombstone securing it with a permanent sticking charm.

"I doubt very much that you would like flowers" he laughed. "But I know how much you loved her" he said gesturing to the grave of his grandmother. "I think this is much more fitting" he concluded before moving on.

He came to the grave of his father and stared at it feeling very confused, a confusion which quickly turned to anger.

The tombstone was a plain white stone with black writing. The Potter crest had been included but the grave certainly did not represent James Potter.

 _James Charlus Potter_

 _Father To Our Saviour_

 _Harry James Potter_

 _Born 11/4/1960_

 _Died 31/10/1981_

 _We thank you for your sacrifice_

Harry shook his head in frustration and looked towards his mother's plot that was next to his fathers'. It was fashioned in the same stone and writing as his fathers' but there was no Potter crest.

 _Lily Potter_

 _Mother To Our Saviour_

 _Harry James Potter_

 _Born 12/2/1960_

 _Died 31/10/1981_

 _We thank you for your sacrifice_

Harry began to shake in rage at the disrespect shown to the memories of his parents. There was much more to them than being just his parents but that was in no way reflected where they rested.

Arcturus feeling the fury emanating from the boy walked to his side and upon seeing the graves he understood the anger Harry was feeling.

"Clearly the ministry took the liberty of burying your parents" he deduced disgustedly.

Harry took a deep breath to calm himself before aiming his wand at his father's tombstone a deep look of concentration coming over him and the stone started to transform.

When he was finished Arcturus looked impressed at what he had achieved.

"You've been studying" he noticed with a little pride in his voice.

"Yes sir" Harry affirmed, not taking his eyes off his work.

He even had to admit himself that he was proud of the complex transfiguration he had just demonstrated.

The stone had been transfigured into granite and the writing had changed and was gold, reflecting the style of his grandparents. The reference to himself had been removed and it now stood a true and proud representation of what he knew of his father;

 _James Charlus Potter_

 _Husband, Father, Marauder_

 _May Prongs Run Free_

 _Born 11/4/1960_

 _Died 31/10/1981_

 _Honour Thy Blood_

 _Mischief Managed_

"I won't even ask" Arcturus said shaking his head stepping away once again.

"It's strange" Harry began. "I know more about my grandparents than I do about you and you're my father" he continued sadly. "I know we would have had a lot of fun from what Sirius has told me and probably driven mum insane" he said shaking his head. "You were taken too soon" he stated.

He took a moment to compose himself before he continued talking.

"Thank you for protecting mum and me as best as you could" he intoned sincerely. "I will get the rat for what he did to us" he added confidently. "I will make sure that bastard suffers for everything" he growled. "I love you Dad and I will see you all again" he finished.

He concluded his time with his father by conjuring 2 marble figurines; one of a large shaggy dog and one of a werewolf which he secured atop the tombstone. To add to that he conjured a single white lily and placed it between the two before turning his attention to the grave of his mother.

He looked at it distastefully and quickly went to work transfiguring it in a more suitable monument to his mother. When he was finished it reflected the other 3 and the Potter crest adorned it proudly.

 _Lily Potter_

 _Loving Mother and Wife_

 _Undoubtedly The Brightest Witch of Her Age_

 _Born 12/2/1960_

 _Died 31/10/1981_

 _Honour Thy Blood_

"I've spent my whole life wishing you were here and being tormented by your final moments" he said sadly. "Hearing your voice after what happened in June has taken most of that away. I'm not going to apologise for all the things I will have to do because I know you understand and will forgive me" he spoke quietly.

Before he could stop it a tear broke free from his eye and he made no attempt to wipe it away.

"There's still not a day that goes by where I wouldn't give everything I own just to have you back for a minute" he said shakily. "I love you mum, and thank you for what you did for me, I promise I won't let it be in vain" he ended, wiping away the errant tear.

He conjured a marble figure of a stag and one of a lily and fixed them to the stone. He took one last look at the area in which he family had been laid to rest and made his way to Arcturus who nodded before making his own way to the graves.

When he had finished having his private moments he conjured 4 black roses and placed one on each tombstone. Harry was touched by the sentiment of the older man but knew he wouldn't appreciate him vocalising it. Instead he gave him a grateful nod as he returned. The older man returned the nod before disapparating with a soft pop.

Harry took one last look around him and one final glance at the graves of his family.

"I'll be back soon" he whispered quietly. With that he himself disappeared with a near inaudible crack.

Harry appeared in the drawing in room but did not take a seat, he felt the need to be alone and reflect back on the past hour of his life. To him it was one of those defining moments in a lifetime and he knew now that he would never be the same. His determination had become even more firm despite the fact he felt that that had not been possible.

"Thank you sir" He said monotonously.

He exited and made his way to his room knowing he wouldn't sleep any time soon. But instead of working he laid awake for hours just thinking of his family and truly taking in the experience of the night. It had been bittersweet but he knew it could not have been any other way.

He eventually fell into an easy sleep that night, the best sleep he had ever had in his short 15 years of life.

 _(BREAK)_

Andromeda Tonks was not looking forward to the meeting she had been requested to attend with her husband and daughter. The Tonks family had spent the entirety of the previous day discussing all possibilities and outcomes and had put in place a contingency plan for if they needed to flee. They were all hoping that whatever the issue was that it could be dealt with in a way that their lives wouldn't have to change.

Ted Tonks was the most nervous of the trio. He had never had anything to do with the Black's, being a muggleborn, he simply would not have been worthy of their time. He was aware of their reputation of course and always wondered if his wife had truly come from the family.

There was no doubt of course that she had.

It wasn't only the uncanny resemblance to her sister that confirmed it but he had seen and been on the receiving end of her temper. If truth be told he was terrified of his wife when she was angry. She was very powerful and the fact that she was a Black could not be ignored in her moments of fury.

These moments were very rare however. She was a very loving and caring woman but would defend himself and their daughter to the very end if necessary. This thought made the impending meeting rest a little easier with the man. It wasn't that he feared the Blacks, he was a very capable wizard in his own right, but he feared what this meeting would mean for his family. All he could do was wait and see and just hope that whatever happened, they could handle between them.

Nymphadora Tonks was feeling confused more than any other emotion. She had never been exposed to her mother's family so didn't truly understand the severity of the situation. The Black family had essentially been non-existent throughout her life and she only remembered Sirius from when she was a child and he was always nice.

Whatever would happen she would not allow anyone to take control of her life in any way. She would do as her mother did and flee if necessary before that would happen. Although she was confident that whatever it was could be fixed, she couldn't help the twinge of nervousness that would appear every so often at the thought of the meeting.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius Black woke the next morning nothing less than a bag of nerves, wondering what the day to come would entail. He knew that things were going to be different after today one way or the other but he couldn't decide if that would be a good thing or not. On the one hand he was safe where he was and how things were. He was out of the direct line of fire and he knew there was no one who could get in to his house without his say so, his family had at least done a good job warding Grimmauld Place and for that he could be grateful.

On the other hand, he felt that he was merely sat on the side lines just waiting and watching as things progressed around him. Sirius was a man of action and would much rather be in the thick of it than sat doing what he deemed as nothing.

Yes, he knew that things would be changing for better or worse and all he could do was wait and see what the outcome of the day would be and hope that the changes would be positive for him.

He spent his day pacing and watching the clock, urging the time to either pass quickly in his braver moments or begging it to slow when the nerves got the better of him. Before he could decide completely on how he wanted the time to pass it was time to activate the portkey to the bank. It would be left to whatever deity was watching over him to decide his fate, a notion that did not sit well with the man.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Arcturus were in the meeting room at Gringotts waiting for their guests to arrive. Harry, as promised, was sat in the corner of the room concealed by his invisibility cloak and despite the fact he knew he would not be able to talk to Sirius unless the older man said it was okthough he was excited at the prospect of seeing his godfather.

Arcturus was sat at the head of the large oak table that had been provided for the gathering and Barchoke was stood at the door waiting to greet the Black family members as they arrived. The two had had a conversation in which the goblin was told to not involve himself and allow what was to happen happen as Harry had been instructed. The goblin readily agreed, not wanting to be included in the meeting knowing the reputation of the family.

Not long had passed when they heard the arrival of a portkey outside the door and all the occupants of the room knew who it was. At the tentative knock of the door the goblin opened it to greet Sirius.

"Mr Black, please come in and take a seat" the goblin requested in his business tone.

"Thank you Ba…" Sirius froze at the sight of his long thought to be dead grandfather and paled considerably.

He seemed to find himself quickly though and yelped in shock before turning to sprint out of the still open door he had just come through.

"Get your worthless hide back here you mangy cur" Arcturus roared hurling a stinging hex at his retreating grandsons' rear end.

Harry heard his godfather yelp as the spell hit its mark followed by a thud as the man hit the floor. He couldn't help himself and had to stifle a snigger as the man reappeared rubbing his behind and gaping like a fish out of water.

"Will you stop stuttering, you look even more of a moron" the older man demanded exasperatedly.

"But you're dead" Sirius said dumbly pointing at his grandfather with a disbelieving finger.

"The fuck I am" Arcturus replied clearly irritated. "I'm sat right here and even a buffoon like you can see that, now sit down for fuck sake before I flay you alive you simpleton" he commanded pointing at a chair to his left.

The younger man complied knowing that it was not an empty threat. He sat staring at his grandfather dumbly and realised that this was going to be much worse than he anticipated, now the shit really was going to hit the fan.

"Are you going to hand me over to him" Sirius finally managed to ask discreetly withdrawing his wand from his sleeve under the table.

"If I wanted you dead I'd do it myself I don't need the help of a half-blooded bastard to help md with that" Arcturus spat. "And I'd put that wand back where you took it from before you find it rammed up your arse" he added glaring at the younger man.

Sirius just swallowed deeply, partly out of relief and partly from the nervousness that had settled in. It was then he that he realised what the older man had said and found himself confused.

"What do you mean half-blooded bastard?" he asked in his confusion.

"Ahh so Dumbledore is still his secretive self I see and hasn't seen fit to tell you what you're up against, that's another moron I'll be having a conversation with" he said quietly to himself.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked getting annoyed.

"We will get to the how's and why's later, we have things to discuss before everyone else arrives, and use that tone with me again you filthy mutt and I'll make sure you're neutered in both forms, understand? Arcturus questioned severely.

Sirius looked shocked and began jabbering again. He finally managed to speak but his voice had definitely climbed an octave or two higher.

"You know" he questioned flatly.

"Of course I know, you always smelt like dog. Either that or you have disgusting inclinations towards them. Is that what it is? You like to lay with animals?" he questioned. "Then again going by some of the witches you've been known to cavort with it wouldn't surprise me" the old man grimaced.

Sirius yelped in indignation and began sputtering incoherently. Before he could formulate words again Arcturus cut him off.

"We will get to your love life a little later" he said seriously. "But now we have other things to discuss".

With a speed the younger man wasn't expecting, Arcturus had him by the throat and had slammed his head on the table.

Upon seeing this Harry had to fight the urge to intervene. What had seemed initially amusing to him was now becoming clear that this situation was anything but.

Arcturus looked into the fear filled eyes of his grandson before he began to question him. He just hope that he was not about to be lied to, the younger man would do well to be honest, the consequences would not be pleasant.

"Did you do it" he hissed at his grandson. "Did you sell out the Potter's to that bastard?" he questioned.

It wasn't the fact that he believed Sirius to be guilty but he wanted to hear it from the man himself. He wanted to look him in the eyes and see the truth there. Arcturus was not a man who would listen to rumours or the testimony of others, he had to be sure for himself.

Sirius was furious at the question. His grandfather knew how close he was to James and Lily and knew that he would not have done it.

"I would have died first" Sirius spat, with venom in his voice.

Arcturus knew the boy was telling the truth and simply nodded. Seeing the anger in his eyes gave him hope that he had found a true ally for the Potter boy, hell, he couldn't fight this war alone.

"Good" the older man said releasing his grandson and returning to his seat. He watched Sirius rubbing his neck and gave him a moment to compose himself before he continued.

"Apart from myself you are the last remaining Black male, and when I die you will take over the family" he stated to the surprised younger man. "What do you plan on doing to continue the family line?" he asked.

Sirius looked more than a little embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously clearly unwilling to answer. Eventually he blew out a long breath and hung his head in what seemed to be shame.

"12 years in Azkaban takes away certain capabilities" he explained quietly. "The wand can fire spells but there's no magic in them" he finished in a whisper.

Arcturus had suspected as much but did not want to discuss the potency of his grandsons' seed with him.

"You have a contingency plan I assume" he stated neutrally.

"I made a will 15 years ago that leaves everything I own to my godson" he answered, expecting to be reprimanded again. "And I'd sooner see our family end and out fortune become nothing than hand it over to the Malfoys'" he spat distastefully.

Harry was surprised by the fact Sirius had left him everything and actually felt like he mattered to someone for the first time in his life. It wasn't the possessions that made him grateful but the sentiment the man had shown. He couldn't believe that he would mean so much to the man.

Arcturus just nodded at the answer his grandson had given him. He couldn't agree more with the man but was certainly not going to let him know that.

Before he could question him further he was interrupted by the man himself.

"Why are you back now, why would you want everyone to think you were dead?" Sirius asked sincerely.

"A few months before the Dark Lord fell your brother came to see me" he stated.

At the mention of his brother Sirius shot to his feet shaking instantly in rage.

"That bastard was a Death Eater" he growled in fury.

"Your brother has done more to end this fucking war than any one. If it wasn't for him the wizarding world would be fucked" the older man said dangerously. "Barchoke, can I use your pensieve?" he asked the goblin knowing his grandson would not believe him until he saw for the memory for himself.

"Of course Baron Black" the goblin agreed and summoned the stone bowl to place on the table.

Arcturus carefully withdrew the memory he wanted and placed it in the bowl and gestured for his grandson to enter.

It was a few minutes later that Sirius emerged looking both pale and emotional and fell into his seat in a stupor.

"He turned against him" he stated lamely.

"He did" the older man agreed.

Sirius frowned and looked towards his grandfather. He could not understand why he was being like this and why any of this mattered to the man.

"Why do you care?" he asked not taking his eyes off of him.

Arcturus was not surprised by the question and had expected it. He thought before he answered but would not hide the truth from the boy, he was family after all, something the older man had little left of.

"The first and second war tore my family, our family, to pieces" he began. "Our family will not survive another war unless we come together. I've spent my whole life trying to rebuild the Black family and before this bastard came along the first time we were doing well".

He paused before he continued.

"Not only that he killed my best friend" he said sadly. "No not my friend" he added shaking his head, "My brother" he finished.

"Uncle Charlus" Sirius said quietly. "But why come back now?" he asked again.

"I haven't been sat on my thumb these last 14 years" he grumbled irritably. "You saw the memory and what he mentioned" he said.

"Horcruxes? What the hell are they?" Sirius asked.

"It doesn't matter, I am dealing with them" the older man explained cutting Sirius off. "Just leave it to me" he added sternly.

"So you're on Dumbledore's side" Sirius choked in realisation, pointing at the older man in amusement.

"I am on my side" the older man corrected. "Dumbledore is too soft to lead anyone in a war. How can you follow someone who would have you stun your enemies and lock them up only for them to be released again?" he asked. "Dumbledore will get us all killed and condemn me for fighting the way a war is supposed to be fought" he finished.

"But Dumbledore killed Grindelwald" Sirius pointed out.

"No" Arcturus interrupted. "Grindelwald killed himself, he was hit by his own spell and even I'm sure that Dumbledore did that by accident" he hazarded.

Sirius just sat listening to what his grandfather had said and knew it was true. Dumbledore would insist on non-lethal spells that the Death Eaters certainly would not be using.

Before the conversation could go any further there was another knock on the door and the two men took their seats and waited for their guests to be admitted.

Sirius was confused but figured that the people who would be attending could only be members of the Black family. He was surprised however to see the Tonks family enter the room having expected it to be one of his distant aunts.

"Oh, shit" Andromeda cried when she caught sight of her grandfather. She then looked questioningly at Sirius who shook his head and shrugged.

The youngest member of the Tonks family was simply confused at the fear she could see in her mothers' eyes and even more confused at the presence of her cousin.

"Sirius, Dumbledore is going to go spare when he finds out you left the house" she hissed urgently.

"Dumbledore can get fucked" Arcturus cut in. "Now take a seat" he commanded to the trio who were still stood.

All three complied, Andromeda knowing that her grandfather was not to be disobeyed and the other two simply following her lead.

"Andromeda" the older man began. "It has been a while" he finished frowning.

"25 years" the woman replied with anger evident in her voice. "25 years ago I was cast out because I refused to marry Evan Rosier" She spat disdainfully.

"Cast out?" Arcturus asked sarcastically. "You left of your own accord" he stated.

Andromeda just stared at her grandfather in confusion but couldn't find a point to argue. She had left of her own free will but knew she would no longer be welcome or even considered a Black because of her choice of Husband. Before she could make her point the older man cut in again.

"You were never cast out Andromeda, your father never had the authority and when he came to me to have you removed I refused him" he explained. "The same with your hag of a mother" he added looking at Sirius.

The two could only stare at the older man in shock. They had never officially been cast out of the family? Neither could find the words to express what they felt; confusion, anger and annoyance mostly. They were saved the effort by Arcturus addressing Ted.

"You must be Theodore" he acknowledged the man distastefully.

"Yes sir" Ted answered nervously.

"To you it is either Lord Black, or Baron Black, understood?" he asked, glaring at the man.

Ted swallowed deeply but nodded.

"Yes Lord Black" he managed to stammer.

Nymphadora Tonks was confused as to why her mother would allow this man to talk to her father this way. She was angry and was about to give the man a piece of her mind when she was cut off by her mother.

"Be quiet, Nymphadora" she advised quietly, shaking her head vigorously.

"Ahh and you must be the daughter" Arcturus intoned, turning his attention to the young woman and looking at her appearance distastefully. "An auror and metamorph, a talent inherited from the Black line" he added.

The auror just nodded at the older man's observation.

"Why is it that you use the gift so liberally?" he asked. "It would be much smarter for you to choose one form for day to day use and only use the gift when you need it and not in such a fashion" he suggested, gesturing to her blue her and ample bosom.

"I like to be different and change things" she answered shrugging.

"No" the older man said shaking his head. "You like to stand out the way you do because you think it gives you your own identity" he said, his grey steely eyes boring in to her bright blue ones. "You think that someone would only want you for your ability to change your body and you've accepted that" he added. "Have some self-respect for fuck sake and stop trying to please people who don't matter, because I know you look nothing like this in your natural state" he finished gesturing to the woman who was looking shocked and upset at how accurate this stranger was.

"Why are we here?" Andromeda cut in noting how upset her daughter was becoming.

"We are here because we are the last of the Blacks and we have to discuss how we plan on surviving the coming war" Arcturus began taking his seat once again. "In the past I have allowed the family to have too much freedom and free reign on what they do but that stops now" he informed them firmly.

"I will not become one of that mad bastards followers" the youngest Tonks growled.

"Good" the older man said surprising the trio. "Let me explain why I am here and what I have been doing these last 14 years" he sadded to the confused threesome.

He then went on to explain the decimation of the Black family because of the rises of Voldemort and Grindelwald. He explained that Regulus had come to him and gave him certain information and that he had turned on his master. He did not mention the horcruxes as he had to Sirius not wanting anymore people to know. He explained how much he knew the wizarding world would change and how being a Black would become meaningless if the remaining family members survived, something he did not want to see happen after all of his hard work to re-establish the name as something significant.

When he was finished the trio were both shocked and flabbergasted. But they were not able to question the man further as there was another knock on the door that had the four guests looking confused and tense.

When the door opened and Narcissa Malfoy entered the atmosphere became very tense. Even Harry felt himself stiffen at her presence not being aware that she would be here.

The first thing Narcissa saw was 4 wands pointed at her but before she could reach for her own she caught sight of her Grandfather and paled from shock but mostly fear. This was not good for her at all.

"Sit down, Narcissa" the older man commanded in a sour tone.

Narcissa flattened her robes and took a seat next to the man alone on one side of the table who she then realised was her cousin Sirius. She quickly hid her surprise behind an impassive mask before addressing him.

"Cousin Sirius" she greeted him formally. "You are looking well for a man on the run" she observed with a raised eyebrow.

"Narcissa" Sirius intoned sounding bored. "You look thin and quite unwell" he said lazily and uninterested.

Narcissa chose not to dignify her cousin with a response but instead turned her attention to the other three people sat on the opposite side of the table. This time she could not conceal her surprise so well.

"Andi" she greeted inclining her head towards he older sister. "It's been a while" she finished.

"Cissy" Andromeda replied using her childhood nickname for her sister.

Narcissa chose to ignore the other two members of the Tonks family and instead addressed her Grandfather.

"Why were Lucius and Draco not invited?" she asked. "Surely if they" she said distastefully indicating the Tonks family, "are here then my son and husband should be also" She concluded.

"Your son and husband could not be any less of a Black if they tried" Arcturus replied sourly.

"My husband is a good man" she retorted "And Draco will one day be the head of this family" She pointed out.

"Your husband is a moron and your son is exactly the same" Arcturus answered angrily. "And I will be damned if I let the head of this family be a Malfoy" he spat.

Before Narcissa could reply she was cut off by her Grandfather.

"Lucius is nothing but a brown-nosing piss stain who should never have been allowed to marry into our family, he is not worthy and the offspring you have brought in to this world is not worthy of such a title, I would sooner see everything we own burnt to the ground before it goes to those fucking imbeciles" he concluded firmly.

Narcissa was shocked in to silence. She had not expected this nor had she expected to hear her family spoken of in such a way. She knew things were not going to end well for her here but remained quiet and waited to see how this would play out.

"Before we continue" Arcturus interrupted her thoughts. "You will all give a magical oath on both your life and magic that nothing you have seen or heard or will see and hear will be spoken of to anyone not in this room" he instructed.

"And if we refuse?" Narcissa asked panicked and angry.

"Then I will obliviate you until you are nothing more than a dribbling mess" he answered sincerely. "That includes revealing in any way that I am alive" he added seeing Narcissa thinking quickly.

All of the occupants of the table shared a look and Sirius was the first to give his oath followed by the two older Tonks. Nymphadora hesitated and before she could give her oath Arcturus interrupted.

"That also means you can't tell Dumbledore" he explained gravely.

Tonks just nodded before giving her oath and the group turned their attention to Narcissa who was clearly hesitant.

"Why am I here" she asked. "All you've done is insult my family and essentially cast them out" she finished nervously.

"You are here because you are family" Arcturus pointed out simply. "I know you are loyal to that idiot husband of yours but I am giving you the chance to put a contingency plan in place and if you decide you want out, then you will have the opportunity" he explained further.

"What about Draco?" she asked in reply.

"Your son is a Malfoy and will follow his moronic father, I give it less than a year before he takes that ridiculous mark" the older man estimated confidently.

Narcissa looked upset but knew it was likely. She would not turn her back on her husband though. Despite his flaws she loved him and her son more than anything.

Reluctantly she gave the same vow tht the rest of the family had given and sighed in frustration.

"I can't go against them" she proclaimed stubbornly.

"I didn't expect anything less" Arcturus replied shrugging. "But now I can rest easy knowing I gave you fair warning, the rest is in your hands" he finished.

"You mean to stand against the Dark Lord" Narcissa whispered in shock and realisation.

"I do" Arcturus said simply.

"But he will kill you all, none of you can defeat him" she pointed out.

"Then we will die trying" the younger Tonks interjected firmly.

"Then you are all fools" Narcissa deadpanned.

She sat for a moment and pondered the situation. There was no one alive who could stand against the Dark Lord and win. It was then she thought she realised what was happening and she couldn't hold back her laughter.

"You are siding with Dumbledore" she stated. "You think Dumbledore can finish the Dark Lord" she gasped disbelievingly.

Arcturus shook his head and smirked at his Granddaughter.

"Dumbledore can probably barely finish his dinner these days" he stated. "And no I am not siding with him" he added coyly.

"Then who?" Narcissa asked. "There is no one else who can stand against him and win, the only other person who people foolishly believed in was the Potter boy and he's dead, Lucius saw it himself" She pointed out.

Arcturus just laughed at her confusion. He had been waiting for this moment for days now knowing it would come to this. He edged his face closer to his granddaughter and smirked again.

"Dead is he?" he asked. "Why don't you see for yourself how very much alive he is" he finished smugly.

All at the table turned to see Harry Potter appear at the other side of the room, but this was not a Harry that Sirius nor Narcissa remembered. He no longer looked like a meek and vulnerable young boy, the person that stood in front of them now was nothing short of being a man. He was 6ft tall, athletically built with much shorter hair and stubble. He was minus his trademark glasses and scar and he was wearing a plain black t-shirt that fit him like a second skin, a pair of dark blue jeans and honey coloured boots.

Sirius stood slowly, hardly believing his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment for months and the confusion he should have been feeling was not registering. All he knew was that Harry was stood in front of him and he could now protect his godson.

Before Harry could say anything his godfather had cleared the room in the blink of an eye and was now clinging to him and sobbing uncontrollably in to his shoulder. Wanting the awkward moment to end Harry pushed the man away gently before addressing.

"For fuck sake , not here Sirius, pull yourself together" he hissed.

The other man, not having heard what his godson had said, started to ramble which turned in to quick talking as he vocalised a plan.

"We can get you away from here pup and I will keep you safe I promise, we can find somewhere to sit this war out" he finished sincerely.

Harry looked at his godfather and found he appreciated what the man was trying to do but shook his head all the same.

"I'm not going anywhere Sirius, I'm not running from him" he stated firmly in a no-nonsense tone.

"But you're too young to have to do this Harry, he will kill you" Sirius pleaded.

"He might" Harry agreed. "But I'll be taking that bastard with me" he finished vehemently.

Sirius turned to his Grandfather, his face a mask of fury.

"What the fuck have you done to him" he asked furiously.

"I healed him and gave him the tools, the rest is his own work" the older man shrugged with a glare.

"But he is just a boy, surely you're not serious" Andromeda cut in.

Arcturus looked annoyed but he knew he needed to make them understand why he was doing this. He looked at each person assembled and came up with an idea.

"How many of you have faced him?" he asked.

None of them apart from Harry raised their hands.

"How many times have you faced him Potter?" he questioned.

"Four times so far" he answered.

"Four?" Sirius asked as the rest of the room looked confused.

"When I was a baby, first year, second year and in the graveyard" he replied casually.

Everyone in the room looked even more confused. Arcturus just nodded and turned to address the rest of the group.

"Say his name" he commanded to them all. None of them replied and they looked nervous.

"Potter" he commanded.

"Voldemort" Harry said without hesitation, causing the rest of the group to flinch or shudder.

"None of you have faced him or dare even speak his name and yet you think Potter shouldn't?" he said glaring at his family.

"But he is just a boy" Andromeda reiterated.

Arcturus continued glaring at the assembled group before he nodded and proceeded with his plan. He knew it would be the only way.

"Fine" he began. "If all you see is a boy then prove it. One of you duel him, I don't care who, and if you win I will agree with Sirius that Potter should sit the war out and you can take him wherever you want to go" he bargained.

Before the group could even discuss the matter the youngest Tonks stepped forward.

"I'll do it" she declared. "I owe him one from July" she said with a little embarrassment.

"So you were Dumbledores' lackey who attacked me Miss Tonks?" Harry asked a little surprised. "You look better with pink hair" he added to the amusement of Sirius and the embarrassment of the auror.

"You won't be making jokes soon Potter" she retorted angrily through gritted teeth, making her way to the other side of the room.

Arcturus looked towards the goblin who just shrugged and waved his hand, causing the table to disappear.

"All of those not taking part stand behind this line" he said as he waved his hand again and a blue line appeared.

Arcturus grabbed Harry by the arm and spoke to him quietly so no other could hear.

"I meant what I said Potter" he growled. "If you lose then you go with him" he added nodding towards Sirius. "Don't fuck around and don't hold back, show them why you're here" he instructed firmly.

Harry just nodded at the older man. He did not want to hurt the young woman but he would be damned if he would be sitting this war out. This was his proving ground and he realised he had a lot to prove to the people assembled and to himself. He steeled himself and took his place opposite the blue haired auror.

"Begin when you're ready" Arcturus said casually with a shrug.

Tonks wasted no time and began to fire all kinds of spells at Potter stunners, disarming charms and even a few bludgeoning hexes.

Harry, to the annoyance of his opponent, simply batted them away lazily as if they were nothing.

The auror growled in frustration and began firing spells that had much less friendly intentions. She fired bonebreakers and concussion spells with vigour and a speed that most would struggle with.

Harry avoided the spells with a greater speed and grace that none in the room thought possible and he made it look easy. They were in awe at the 15 year olds ability and he had yet to even fire a spell.

Harry was becoming very annoyed. The auror was not duelling to just incapacitate, she was duelling to cause him injury. He saw a bone breaker coming towards him but did not move or shield, he waited.

The spectators cringed at the impending impact knowing it was going to be very unpleasant. They were again surprised as the Potter simply raised his wand and the spell stopped just in front of it and formed in to a ball. He then hissed at it and the spell turned from a dark blue to a bright pink which he launched back at the woman with incredible speed and power, sending her flying through the air and in to the wall, knocking her unconscious.

The people watching were all stunned at what they had just seen apart from Andromeda who ran to the unconscious form of her daughter to try and rouse her.

"What the hell was that Potter" Arcturus asked with a little awe in his voice, "That should not be possible" he stated.

"Something I've been working on" Harry shrugged casually. "Though I haven't tried it with anything stronger than a stunner" he added rubbing the back of his neck.

"How?" Sirius asked quietly.

"It's the same as batting the spell away but you block and manipulate the magic to capture the spell" he explained. "The second part is a parseltongue modification spell that's usually used for healing charms" he continued. "It usually modifies a bone knitting charm in to a skin sealing charm without having to end the spell" he explained further. "I found it works with combat magic and can turn a stunner into pretty much what I want, but it doesn't work unless it is done in parseltongue" he finished.

"That is quite something" Arcturus intoned.

"You're a parselmouth?" Ted asked nervously.

"Yes, it's something I inherited from my Black heritage" Harry answered the apprehensive man.

Narcissa just looked on in shock at the younger man but said nothing. She was admittedly impressed but this was just a friendly duel, she was not convinced by the boy.

"She won't wake" Andromeda called worriedly from across the room.

"It's ok Mrs Tonks" Harry said walking towards the duo. "I only turned it into a stunning spell you might not be strong enough to counter it" he explained leaning over the auror. _"Enervate"_ he mumbled pointing his wand at the woman.

Nymphadora Tonks woke to the brightest green eyes she had ever seen. They were alight with power and there seemed to be gently flickering emerald flames within them that shone in the dim light. There was something else there that didn't seem to fit the power she saw; concern, there was concern in them.

She flushed a gentle pink and her hair turned involuntarily red at the beauty she saw in those orbs. Before she could compose herself or speak she heard the voice belonging to those eyes and she remembered where she was.

"My apologies Miss Tonks" Harry said sincerely. "I didn't expect it to be so powerful" he finished offering his hand to help her to her feet.

Tonks took the offered hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet by the surprisingly gentle grip of the young man.

"Ouch" she gasped suddenly rubbing her chest. "Why is it always the chest with you Potter" she said frowning.

Harry just raised an eyebrow at her and pointed his wand at her chest hissing a spell that made the pain dissipate immediately.

"You do make them quite the target" Harry retorted eliciting another flush from the auror who tried to control it but failed miserably. She was not used to being made to feel this way it was her who usually embarrassed other people and made them flush. She crossed her arms and huffed, scowling at Harry who just let a snort of laughter pass and shook his head at her antics.

Andromeda turned to her grandfather and addressed the man, still surprised by all she had seen.

"Why couldn't I wake her?" she asked confused.

"The boy is a lot more powerful than you" Arcturus answered matter-of-factly.

"But he is fifteen" she said exasperatedly.

"And he has already been through his magical maturity" the older man explained.

"Already" Sirius cut in sounding concerned, "But that shouldn't happen for at least a few more years" he pointed out.

"He is hardly the average wizard is he?" Arcturus asked rhetorically.

"How long did it last?" Andromeda asked.

"Potter" Arcturus called, garnering the boys' attention. "How long did your maturity last?" he asked.

"11 days" Harry answered shrugging.

"11" Sirius yelped, "mine was only 5 and James's was 6" he said despondently.

"Mine was 5" Andromeda added in awe.

"5 for me too" Ted chimed in.

"Nymphadora's was 6 I think" Andromeda said quietly. "How powerful is he?".

"Powerful enough to drive away 100 dementors" Sirius said in realisation. "When he was 13" he added.

Andromeda scoffed.

"A 13 year old producing a corporeal patronus is one thing but driving off that many dementors too?" she asked.

"He saved my life doing it" Sirius said quietly.

"I don't believe it" Andromeda said shaking her head. "It's just not possible" she finished.

"Harry" Sirius called, still quietly. "Can you show us prongs?" he asked.

Harry looked a little nervous and sheepish before he answered his godfather. He didn't want to disappoint the man but he couldn't give him what he wanted.

"It's not prongs anymore" Harry whispered.

"What do you mean" Sirius questioned worriedly.

"It's changed now and it's a she" he said looking at Arcturus who nodded in recognition.

"Can I see?" Sirius asked.

Harry swallowed but nodded and thought of the picture currently sat on his bedside table.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he whispered and his now familiar Thestral appeared in a burst of the brightest white light and a heat that warmed the entire room.

"Incredible" Andromeda said in awe reaching out to touch the creature. "You can actually touch her" she added just above a whisper.

"A Thestral" Sirius said in surprise with a frown which quickly changed to raised eyebrows that almost disappeared in to his hairline. "Aunt Dorea?" he asked Arcturus who nodded solemnly.

"The boy knew nothing of his family at all" he spat bitterly. "But I told him all about his Grandparents, it's up to you to tell him about his parents" he informed Sirius.

Sirius nodded knowing it is something he owed Harry and himself. He had barely spoken about James and Lily for fifteen years and there was no one he would rather discuss them with than his godson.

"Your wand" Sirius suddenly said loudly to Harry. "It was broken and Dumbledore has the pieces" he added. "What is that?" he asked looking at the wand still in Harrys' hand.

The rest of the room turned their attention to the mentioned wand and looked at it in confusion.

"What is it made of?" Andromeda asked eying the implement curiously.

Harry looked at Arcturus who glared at everyone in the room staring at the boy's wand. A wand was a personal thing and not something that should be asked about regardless of how curious it appears.

"You don't have to answer" Arcturus told him firmly still glaring at the gathered people.

"It's ok" Harry said. "They can't use it anyway" he added in amusement. "The outter is made of white ash infused with obsidian" he began.

"That's a Black trait" Sirius interrupted "But it should be a focus stone and combining those two like that must be very difficult" he surmised, looking confused.

"The guy couldn't do it that way " Harry said. "The cores are contradictory so one of them had to be put inside the obsidian like that so it could bond with the rest of the cores and wood" he explained what he had been told by the wandmaker.

"What are your cores?" Andromeda asked curiously knowing it was going to be far from a normal combination.

"Hungarian horntail heartstring and Golden griffin claw" Harry said and was interrupted again, this time Ted Tonks who whistled.

"That's quite a combination" he said impressed but was cut off by the teen again.

"Phoenix tears and basilisk venom" he finished quietly.

"Basilisk venom and phoenix tears?" Andromeda asked clearly surprised. "Having an affinity for one is completely unheard even but both" she finished shaking her head.

"I have them both in my blood" Harry explained.

"You'd be dead if you had basilisk venom in your blood" Narcissa cut in sceptically.

"Second year" Harry said darkly. "I got bitten by the snake, Fawkes healed it and I killed the basilisk with a sword" he added staring at the woman. "All courtesy of your husband who decided to plant an artefact belonging to Voldemort on an 11 year old girl" he spat through gritted teeth at the woman.

Andromeda and Ted looked from Narcissa to Arcturus who nodded.

"I've seen the memory" he confirmed. "However we are here to discuss what we are going to do next" he said, steering the conversation back to the business at hand.

"There's not much I can do" Sirius said frustrated. "I'm a wanted man" he finished.

"Then we need to find the rat" Harry cut in with disgust.

"That is your next project Potter" Arcturus decided. "Bring in the rat" he added.

Harry couldn't help but feel excited by the prospect of getting hold of Pettigrew, the rat would not get away this time if he had any say in the matter. Harry nodded at the older man and smirked at the opportunity.

"Do not kill him for fuck sake Potter" Arcturus commanded upon seeing the look. "If not this idiot will spend the rest of his life on the run" he concluded sternly gesturing towards Sirius.

"Kill?" the youngest Tonks piped up. "You don't expect him to kill really, do you?" she asked getting a nod of agreement from Sirius and Ted.

"This is war" Arcturus spat. "You kill or be killed, what, you plan on stunning everyone?" he asked sarcastically. "Because these bastards won't be firing stunners I can promise you that" he ground out.

"Dumbledore won't like that" Tonks pointed out nervously.

"Tough shit" Arcturus spat. "I am not Dumbledore and Dumbledore is not fucking in charge of anyone who opposes these bastards, if you listen to him you will die" he finished exasperatedly.

"You're all insane" Narcissa whispered quietly. "He is going to kill you all, you don't stand a chance" she added shaking her head.

Before anyone could say a word Harry stormed over to the woman, finally having enough of her presence and her attitude. Everyone felt the temperature of the room drop considerably as the teen made his way to her and shuddered at the power they could feel radiating from him.

Harry looked at her in the eyes with a penetrating stare and saw her pale at his towering figure.

"I am going to kill the bastard and any of the fucking morons who bear his mark" he spoke dangerously with conviction. "That includes your prick of a husband and your idiot son if he joins him" he added. "Do you want to know the type of man your husband is?" he asked rhetorically.

Narcissa simply could not answer and she was frozen with fear. She could feel her body shaking and lip trembling at how intimidated she was. She had only ever felt this kind of fear in the presence of the Dark Lord and she did not like it. She believed every word the boy was saying, she could see the sincerity in the emerald fire-filled eyes of him.

She swallowed deeply and waited for him to continue hoping he would let her leave. He knew she could not breathe a word to anyone and she just hoped he would remember that.

"Your husband and his friends watched and taunted a 14 year old as he was tortured over and over again by that cunt" he spat. "They laughed and spurred him on seeing it as entertainment" he added quietly. "And believe me I will tear them all limb from limb and piss on whatever is left" he finished through gritted teeth.

Narcissa was horrified at how feral the young man looked and knew he meant every word he was saying. Before she could even fathom replying the cold look left the boys' face and he looked his normal self.

"But don't worry Mrs Malfoy" Harry added casually. "I will make sure you get whatever remains of your husband" he warned in what seemed a joyful and condescending tone that only the woman in front of him detected the promise within. "Now get out" he commanded once again reverting back to his cold tone.

Narcissa spared only a small glance at her family before exiting the room as quickly as possible, watched the entire time by the Potter boy. Harry just curled his lip in distaste at the woman before turning to look at the other occupants of the room who all had fearful looks on their faces.

"Damn Harry" Sirius finally managed to utter. "You're terrifying" he added getting nods of agreement from the Tonks family.

"I meant every word" Harry replied quietly.

Arcturus looked at the young man appraisingly and had no doubt about the boys' ability and intentions. He was silently impressed and couldn't be prouder of him.

'Just like Charlus' he thought to himself nodding slightly.

"Where do we go from here?" Andromeda asked everyone in the room.

"Potter will get the rat" Arcturus reaffirmed indicating Harry who just nodded. "You and your husband keep your eyes and ears open and start preparing a case for this moron" he added gesturing to Sirius. "And you two" he said pointing at Tonks and his grandson. "I want to know what Dumbledore knows, he may be an old fool but he knows more than he lets on" he concluded.

"He doesn't tell us much" Sirius answered. "But he has members of the order guarding something in the department of mysteries" he explained.

"Does he?" Arcturus questioned scratching his chin. "Something he's after?" he asked.

Sirius and Tonks could only nod not being sure what exactly was being guarded.

"Find out what it is, it is obviously important" he commanded. "Anything else?" he asked.

"How was the funeral?" Harry asked quietly to Tonks and Sirius who looked confused.

"What funeral?" Sirius asked looking at Tonks who shrugged.

"Hagrid's'" Harry answered frustrated. "Don't tell me no one knows" he finished agitatedly.

"Know what" Sirius asked equally frustrated.

"About the giants" Harry sighed exasperatedly. "We saw them, about twenty of them and they had killed Hagrid and Maxime" he explained to the duo.

"Hagrid's dead?" Sirius asked dumbly. "But Dumbledore would have told us that" he mumbled quietly looking sad.

"He obviously doesn't know" Harry huffed in realisation. "You have to tell him, He and Hagrid were good friends" he finished sadly thinking of the half giant.

"I will pup" Sirius said, swallowing. "I'm sorry, I knew you were close to him" he added sincerely.

"It happens" Harry replied shrugging. "It will happen a lot more before this is done with" he concluded.

"What should we tell Dumbledore?" Tonks asked.

"Tell him you were seeing me" Harry said firmly.

"That will work" Arcturus agreed. "Say Potter told you to come alone or he wouldn't show" he instructed.

The other two nodded and prepared to leave. "How will we contact you?" Sirius asked.

"You won't" Arcturus commanded. "Unless it is an emergency then you call for his elf Dobby, but only if it is urgent, understood?" he asked.

They nodded, Sirius a lot more reluctantly but he did agree, it was much easier this way and they would less likely be found out. With that they both took hold of Sirius' return portkey and left.

Andromeda and Ted both bid their farewells and left also, leaving Harry and Arcturus alone with the goblin.

"That went as well as can be expected" Arcturus said. "You handled yourself well Potter, you should be proud of your performance" he praised the teen.

Harry just looked at the man impassively before replying.

"That wasn't a performance" he intoned sincerely and with that he disappeared with a gentle pop.

Arcturus looked at the goblin with raised eyebrows and got a shrug in return.

"Young Potter is quite something isn't he?" the goblin asked.

"He is indeed" Arcturus replied shaking his head and following Harry home in the same fashion.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius and Tonks arrived in the hallway at Grimmauld Place and silently made their way to the kitchen. They walked in on what was clearly an unscheduled meeting of the order and the room fell silent at their entrance.

"It's nice of you to join us" Dumbledore broke the silence sounding amused with a twinkle in his eyes.

Before Sirius or Tonks could reply the shrill tone of Molly Weasley cut through the room.

"Sirius Black!" she screeched. "Where on earth have you been" she asked with her hands on her hips.

Sirius felt immediately irritated by the overbearing woman and interrupted before she could begin her lecture.

"Not that it is any of your concern but I went to see my godson" he replied coldly.

"You saw Harry" Molly asked, forgetting the scolding she wanted to give the man. "Well where is he?" she added looking between the two new arrivals.

"Clearly he's not here" Sirius responded gesturing around the room.

"Well why didn't you bring him back?" she questioned angrily. "You should have made him come back with you, he's just a boy and he needs looking after" she finished in a scolding tone.

"pfft, yeah right" Tonks added quietly.

Before she could be questioned Sirius intervened on her behalf.

"Harry does not want to be here, he is safe" he said attempting to placate the distraught woman. "And believe me we couldn't make him come back if we wanted to" he grumbled shaking his head.

"What's that supposed to mean" Molly asked the duo who shared a knowing look.

"It means that Potter would wipe the floor with any of us who tried" Tonks explained. "Believe me, I know" she concluded remembering her duel with the teen.

"Surely you're exaggerating" Bill Weasley interjected.

"I wish I was" Tonks mumbled in reply. "I doubt even Moody would stand a chance" She added indicating the auror.

Moody looked excited by the prospect of that kind of challenge. "Aye, you think that?" he growled.

"I know that" Tonks replied. "He does things that I've never seen and you can't hit him" she said clearly frustrated. "And his power is just something else, he's already had his maturity" she added to those with confused looks. "Eleven days it lasted" she finished shaking her head.

"Eleven days" Dumbledore mused thoughtfully. "Mine was only nine and didn't start until I was 17" he added looking amused.

All the occupants in the room looked surprised by the information and shocked by the addition of what Dumbledore had said.

"He's really that powerful?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked in awe.

"And faster than a hiccup" Sirius added seriously.

"How is he?" Dumbledore asked sincerely. "What has he been doing?".

"Training, obviously" Sirius began. "He's bigger than me and he's not a boy anymore" Sirius said sadly. "Whatever happened to him in that graveyard turned him into a man and a hell of a man at that" he added. "But he is ok, he has never looked better and healthier" he finished addressing Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was relieved to say the least. It was not often he allowed himself to form a close attachment with a student but Harry was different and had proven it time and time again. Dumbledore truly cared for the boy and wanted nothing more than for Harry to find some happiness in life, happiness he had always been denied.

"I'm pleased" he said simply.

"You're not going to try and bring him back?" Molly asked incredulously.

"You heard yourself that it wouldn't be possible" Dumbledore replied. "And I wouldn't force him if I could" he said sternly. "All we can do is support him when he needs it and he will need it" he added confidently. "The outcome of this war hinges on Harry and it is up to him to end it" he concluded.

"You can't be serious Albus" Molly interjected. "I thought you were joking before but you really mean it don't you? You mean for Harry to kill him?" she asked disbelievingly.

"I do" the older man replied firmly. "It is the only way" he added sadly.

"Really, Headmaster?" Snape cut in. "You still think that Potter will win this war?" he asked in frustration.

Before Dumbledore could answer Sirius interrupted his childhood nemesis.

"Not only has Harry vowed to kill that bastard, Snivellus, he has his sights set on anyone who has the mark" he said with no small amount of glee in his voice. "He says he wants revenge for what has been done to his family and himself" he finished putting emphasis on the word family.

"Well I don't believe a word of it" Snape spat. "He's just an arrogant and insolent whelp just like his father" he concluded.

"He's nothing like James" Sirius said a little sadly. "He's nothing like Lily for that matter" he added. "He is much more like Charlus" he said frowning.

"Then god help anyone who stands in front of him" Minerva whispered with a shudder.

Those who were not aware of the older Potter's reputation just shrugged and those who were felt a little easier knowing Harry was fighting the good fight. Moody and Dumbledore shared a knowing nod.

"Let's hope you don't run into him on one of your raids Snape" Moody growled in amusement. "If he is anything like his grandfather then he will not hesitate to kill you and believe me it won't be pleasant" he advised, smirking

"What was so great about Harrys' grandfather?" Bill Weasley asked.

"Charlus Potter was probably the toughest bastard in centuries to be born to the wizarding world" Moody explained. "He fought against Grindelwald personally and had a reputation of taking no prisoners. He came and taught us for a while when I was a cadet" he mused.

He shook his head at the painful memories of the training.

"Even Albus himself wouldn't want to fight him, isn't that right?" he asked the older man in amusement.

Dumbledore just shook his head.

"I had very little to do with Charlus but no I would not have wanted to cross wands with him" he admitted.

"Would have been a hell of a fight" Moody said sounding disappointed.

"Harry has a new wand then" Dumbledore stated to Sirius and Tonks, changing the subject.

"He does" Sirius replied. "It is very unique but I won't discuss it without his permission" he said firmly.

"Of course" Dumbledore agreed inclining his head. "Before we wrap up is there any other business?" he asked.

"Yes" Sirius sighed in a subdued manner. "Hagrid and Maxime's mission was a failure, Harry came across the giants here and they had killed them both Albus" he finished sombrely.

"Very well" Dumbledore said swallowing sadly, his eyes immediately shining with tears at the loss of his friend. "Meeting adjourned" he added, leaving instantly.

"Shouldn't we go after him?" Molly asked worriedly.

"No lass" Moody said shaking his head. "He will want to be alone a while" he added patting the woman on the shoulder.

With that the meeting broke up and only the Weasleys' remained.

"What is Harry up to?" Molly asked gently, not wanting to annoy Sirius.

"Well as of now he is hunting for a rat" Sirius answered happily.

"A rat?" Molly asked.

"All will become clear soon enough Molly" Sirius replied. "Goodnight" he added to the confused trio and he left the kitchen to head to his room for a much needed good night sleep.

 **A/N**

 **Another long one and I hope you enjoyed it. Pairings are still not set in stone yet I'm still ironing out the creases but thank you for your suggestions and input it really does mean a lot to me. Anyway, follow, fave and review and all that hogwash.**

 **TBR**


	7. The Looming Darkness

**A/N (Slightly edited)**

 **No intro this time….. Onwards!**

Chapter 7: The Looming Darkness

Six weeks had passed since the meeting in the Hog's Head and life in the castle had, if possible, gotten worse. The toads' tyranny had become fanatical and had evolved from that of an inconvenience, to something of a complete hindrance. She had all but nullified any of the authority of the other professors, including the headmaster, and now the castle seemed to be functioning on her will and rules. To enforce her rules she had offered certain students a place in her 'inquisitorial squad' which was nothing short of a group of bullies and sycophants looking to victimise any they came across without due reasoning.

Of course being handpicked by Umbridge herself, the squad consisted of mostly older Slytherin students from pureblood families and a select few who were seen as lackeys. At first there had been much vocal objection to such a group but those individuals were soon silenced after a detention or two with the toad herself.

Yes, Dolores Umbridge was very happy with her implementation and the enforcement of her decrees and she found that being on top here could be quite the easy assignment.

There were of course a few students that still needed to be quelled as demonstrated by the occasional disturbance in the castle in the form of fireworks and other pranks usually aimed at her squad, but Umbridge was certain the perpetrators would be apprehended soon enough and then her peace would prosper.

 _(BREAK)_

The group that had met in Hogsmeade had thus far been successful in holding their meetings undisturbed. Simple proximity and silencing wards coupled with Fred and George placing time delayed fireworks throughout the castle on the evenings they met had so far assured them a window of opportunity for practice. They made a point of changing the location each time and thanks to Hermione's ingenuity with some charmed Galleons, the time and date could be given to all discreetly.

They had so far worked on some of the spells required to complete their OWL in defence and a few extracurricular ones for all round self-defence. Hermione would research the spells before the meetings and the group would work on casting them together after she explained the theory. The older students in attendance would help the younger ones with the OWL level work and then the group would work collectively on the other magic they wanted to practice. Tonight was the fourth meeting the group had scheduled and they were currently gathered in an unused classroom on the 6th floor waiting for the meeting to begin.

Hermione had been tirelessly researching spells that would help in a fight but focused more on spells that would allow them to escape. It seemed that the library at Hogwarts was quite a good source for extra spells, particularly on basic duelling magic.

So far the group had worked on stunning, disarming and binding spells and today she was hoping to teach them the impediment jinx that Harry had discovered last year and had used during the tournament.

Hermione found her position rather odd. She had never been the centre of attention or even really listened to until she met Ron and Harry but things had really changed with start of these meetings. People listened to her and even sought further advice from her which she happily provided where she could. Despite this however, she was not entirely comfortable leading this group and mostly felt out of sorts being in this position. She knew Harry would complete the teaching part of the group better than she ever could and he wouldn't make mistakes when casting spells as she did occasionally. But she knew that there really was no other who could take the reigns in the circumstances so she persevered and did what she could.

Having worked through the entirety of the OWL level magic in defence, she watched as the rest of the group practiced and waited her turn to demonstrate the spell. After a few more minutes the group seemed content with the academic portion of the meeting so she stepped forward to address them when she saw they were waiting for her to begin.

"Okay I think today we will work on the impediment jinx" she announced.

"What does it do?" Neville asked, clearly never having heard of it before.

"It slows down your opponent and buys you a little time to either escape or attack with something that takes a little longer to produce" Hermione explained. "But it does have its drawbacks and isn't completely reliable" she added.

"What do you mean?" Lee Jordan inquired.

"Well if you cast it against a powerful wizard or creature it may have little to no affect" she began in her usual lecture mode. "The duration of the spell depends on how powerful you cast it and the power of your opponent, so casting it on someone like Dumbledore or You-Know-who probably isn't a good idea but it is useful to know" she finished.

"Okay that sounds good" Hannah Abbott said. "What would you follow up with though if you're not as strong as your opponent?" she questioned.

Hermione considered the question for a moment before she answered.

"Well if you were looking to escape then a banishing charm would be good to give you more space" She suggested thoughtfully. "They are usually easy to block but quick to cast so if you cast it straight after then there's a good chance it will hit if your first jinx lands" she concluded nodding at her own logic.

"What's the incantation and wand movement?" Astoria Greengrass asked, keen to begin practicing.

"The wand movement is a semi-circle from left to right followed by a flick towards the opponent and the incantation is _impedimenta"_ She explained.

With that the group moved off in pairs to begin. Hermione as usual worked with Ron as most others were reluctant to. He was still very irritated by the presence of the Slytherins and was convinced they would get them caught, something he was still very vocal about.

Most of the group ignored his outbursts as they had become the norm and no matter how often Fred and George would tell him to shut up, he wouldn't listen.

Hermione had hoped that with a war brewing and Harry no longer here to overshadow him that Ron would actually commit himself to schoolwork and his own development. If anything however, he had become even more lazy and his work was worse than it had ever been. He continually made excuses to not complete his homework and Hermione knew had it not been for her helping him, he would be failing miserably. At best he was still only just achieving a passing grade in all subjects and she knew he was going to perform poorly in his OWLS with or without the toad being here. She was sure he was sore about not receiving the prefect position which for some reason he felt he was a shoe in for with the absence of their wayward friend.

He was continuously surly, even in the meetings he made little effort with the spell work and would clearly rather be reading his quidditch magazines or playing chess. No matter how much Hermione tried to help him it made no difference to his attitude. He was rebelling in the face of what he felt was unfair treatment to himself by the fact he had not been given the prefect position. Secretly, Hermione thought that he didn't deserve it. He was simply too lazy and immature to be a good role model to the younger years in their house.

She stood opposite him and gestured for him to try the spell. When he did nothing happened and he was immediately angry. She could see that his wand movement was only done half-heartedly so she pointed it out to him.

"You have to mean it Ron" she explained. "It is an intent based spell and won't work unless you want it to and your wand movement wasn't fluid enough" she pointed out.

The boy remained red-faced in his anger and growled before trying it again.

" _Impedimenta"_ he intoned through gritted teeth which resulted in nothingness once again. " _Impedimenta"_ He shouted in frustration causing a yellow smoke to leak from his wand instead of a jet of light the same colour.

"Getting angry won't help" Hermione tried to explain but the redhead was already shaking in rage and turning a deeper shade of crimson.

"It's a stupid spell anyway" Ron spat as he walked away and sat at the edge of the room and pulled a magazine from within his robes.

"Just ignore him Hermione" Fred said from behind her, shaking his head. "He's just being a miserable git because of the Slytherins being here" he added.

Hermione looked at her friend and simply shook her head at him. There was only so much she could do to help him and if he was unwilling to try then her efforts would be fruitless.

She began scanning the room to check the progress of the rest of the group. She could see they were all doing quite well with the spell and were all working well together in their pairs. It was then that she checked her watch and saw that it was time to end the meeting.

"That's all we have time for today guys" She called to the room. "Good work everybody" She finished appraisingly.

"Granger" Daphne Greengrass called to gain her attention as everyone was preparing to leave.

"Yes Daphne?" Hermione sighed at being addressed by her last name.

"Didn't You-know-who use lots of creatures like werewolves and giants last time?" She asked. "Shouldn't we be working on fighting them?" she questioned further causing many in the room to nod at her observation.

"Well werewolves are very fast and very powerful and notoriously difficult to beat" she said, her expression darkening. "I saw Professor Lupin transform in third year so I would recommend that you run and get away as quickly as you can. They are very feral in wolf form and not so intelligent and it is easier to escape from them than try to fight them" she continued. "A simple scent masking charm and silencing charms on your feet will help when you get out of sight of one. If you do have to fight then you need to have a silver blade handy or be able to conjure weapons to banish at them, you don't want to get close at all" She explained firmly, remembering the advice she had gotten from her third year book.

"We don't start conjuration until seventh year" Neville interjected.

"Yeah and it is very tiring" George added knowingly.

"We should practice the Disillusionment charm then" Angelina Johnson broke in.

Seeing the blank expressions on most of the faces in the room she elaborated.

"It makes you near invisible, that with the scent masking charm and silencing charms should be enough" She shrugged.

"That's a good idea" Hermione praised, annoyed with herself that she hadn't thought of it.

"What about giants?" Michael Corner asked looking apprehensive at the thought.

"They are pretty much immune to magic" Hermione explained. "You have to be more than exceptionally powerful and accurate to bring one down. You have to use solid objects and they need to be heavy and deadly enough to stop one. The amount of magic you would need use to do it would be exhausting" she concluded shaking her head.

"But it can be done?" Katie Bell asked curiously.

"Yes but very few can do it and most die trying. The last person to kill a giant single handed was someone Potter in the 1940's when they fought for Grindelwald" she said frowning at the effort to remember the information she had read so long ago.

"Potter?" Fred asked. "A relative of our little Harrikins?".

"I think so" She answered uncertainly. "I tried to research his family but have found nothing" She admitted sheepishly.

"And you won't" Daphne interrupted. "The Potters are known for their privacy and secrecy, they always have been and with the death of Potter's parents everything became more obscure. I think Dumbledore had some laws passed to protect his family secrets until he comes of age and can do it himself" She finished.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well when a prominent family is expecting a child they announce it to the public" Daphne explained gaining murmurs of agreements from those who were aware. "Well the Potters never have" she added. "A Potter child just seem to materialise when they come of school age they always have done and the child's parentage isn't always clear. The Potter family use to be huge but many died fighting wars and the family eventually dwindled down to what remained when You-know-who came along. I very much doubt any of us would have been aware of Potter until he came to school, if that Halloween night didn't happen" She concluded confidently.

"Surely there would be a public record" Hermione stated feeling a little shocked at this new information about her friend's family.

"Sealed and can only be accessed by a Potter, blood magic I imagine" Daphne explained.

"But that's dark magic" Hermione exclaimed, shocked further. "How do you know this?" she asked with a frown marring her face.

"My mum works in the department of familial records and she told me" Daphne explained.

"Well from what I know the Potters aren't exactly a light family" Neville interjected looking embarrassed.

"Of course they are" Ron broke in angrily. "You-know-who went after them" he added with a sharp nod.

"I didn't mean they were dark" Neville replied quietly.

"What did you mean Neville?" Hermione asked, biting her lip worriedly.

Neville sighed, feeling unsure on how to answer the question without revealing too much of his own life, particularly the fate of his parents.

"My parents and Harrys' parents were really close friends" he began. "I didn't know until a couple of years ago when I asked my Gran who all the people were in the photos I have of them" he added knowing Hermione was going to question him as to why he had never told Harry.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Tracey Davis questioned impatiently.

Neville just sighed again before he replied.

"Well I asked my Gran about Harrys' family, knowing that his parents were dead, I wondered where he was raised because I found out my mum was his godmother and his mum was mine" he finished sadly.

It was clear that the entirety of the room was quite shocked by that statement. It was Hermione that composed herself and manage to question him first.

"Why did you never tell Harry?" she asked softly.

Neville shrugged.

"It was pointless" he said dejectedly. "Me and Harry aren't close friends and it wouldn't make any difference, neither of our parents could fulfil the duty any way" he explained quietly.

Ginny was about to ask a question but was cut off by an even more irritable Tracey Davis.

"And how does that not make the Potter's light?" she asked, clearly frustrated.

Neville shook himself from his reverie before he answered.

"Oh, er… well I asked my Gran about the rest of his family and she told me about his Grandfather, I think she said his name was Charlus and he was a Baron. She said she went to school with him" he finished.

"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "He was the last one to kill a giant" she explained triumphantly.

" A Baron?" Lee Jordan asked. "I've heard of Lord's but not a Baron" he added looking confused.

"Barons are really rare" Daphne cut in. "You have to earn the title in battle and be a very good fighter, it means you become a protector of the land and people" she explained to those who were unaware.

"Is it that rare?" Hermione asked, not having come across the title in regards to the wizarding world.

"Yes, you get one or two every few centuries at the most, there was two from the last war so one of them must have been Potter's grandfather" Daphne explained.

"None of this still explains why they are not light" a now irate Tracey Davis interrupted.

It was Neville that finally answered after a moment of remembering what his Gran had told him.

"My Gran told me she saw him duel a guy once and he burnt him to a crisp before he castrated him, She said he used dark magic in the fight" he said frowning. "She said he was very powerful and ruthless and even Dumbledore wouldn't have wanted to fight him" he finished.

"But he fought against Grindelwald" George pointed out.

"Yes and to survive that he would have had to kill" Hermione said in just above a whisper. "Are you sure that's what she said? She asked Neville.

"Yes" he answered vehemently. "That's why I said I don't think the Potter's are a light family, they fight in wars and always have meaning they use spells and magic that is lethal" he concluded with a shrug.

"But they fight against dark wizards" Fred stated looking confused.

"Yes but that doesn't mean they are light just because they fight for the light side" Hermione replied. "There has to be some willing on the light side to kill for the light side to win" She pointed out. "Look at Mad-eye Moody" she added, using the ex-auror as an example.

"He openly admits to using dark magic" Fred pointed out. "But he fights for the light side" he added.

"So Harrys' family are like Moody?" Ron asked disbelievingly.

"They must be" Hermione replied. "Did your Gran mention anything about his Gran?" She asked Neville who shook his head.

"All she said was that she was a healer and died not long after Harry was born" He answered.

"My mum said the same" Daphne added.

"Can't you just go to where they are buried and see?" Tracey asked.

"No" Daphne answered. "The graves were charmed to stop You-know-who's followers from desecrating them, only Potter and people he take with him can see them" she explained knowingly.

"They really do like to keep their secrets don't they" Tracey mock sulked.

The group laughed at her antics before Hermione reminded them that they should be leaving. They were again halted by a question, this time by Katie Bell.

"What about the Dementors?" she asked nervously. "They sided with him last time".

Hermione saw the nervous expressions of the people gathered and knew they were not going to be pleased with her answer, but she would not lie to them. She let out a deep breath before she replied.

"Obviously the Patronus Charm is the best way to deal with them, but I can't do it" she explained clearly disappointed in herself. "I'm not powerful enough and I don't think I ever will be" she continued sadly.

"You're only 16" Angelina Johnson pointed out.

"Yes but less than 1% of the entire population of wizards and witches are capable of producing one. You need a hell of a lot of power and concentration and be able to maintain both at the same time to do it" she explained further. "I have the concentration but not the power and the chances of even one of us in here being able to do it is almost impossible" she concluded.

"How long have you been trying?" Ginny asked.

"Since the end of third year" Hermione answered dejectedly. "I can feel the pull on my magic but nothing happens and it drains me completely, I feel very weak afterwards and can't even light my wand for a few hours" she explained. "That should tell you how powerful Harry is knowing he could produce and maintain a corporeal one at just thirteen" she concluded.

The members of the group looked at each other feeling defeated. They knew that Granger was easily one of the most powerful in the room and if it had that effect on her then none of them had a realistic chance at doing any better.

There was only one person in the room who begged to differ and promised themselves they would master it. They remembered the affect the Dementors had when they boarded the train in search of Sirius Black and they were not willing to experience that again without the ability to fight back.

With that the somewhat sombre teens exited the room and made their way back to their common rooms in silence, each lost in thoughts of what was coming and what they would do. Many of them hoped that what they had heard about the Potter family was true and that Harry would come through for them if he was in fact alive.

Most of them knew they were not born fighters nor destined for greatness on the battlefield but they would learn as much as they could to defend themselves when and if the situation called for it. Inside they knew they would need a saviour, someone who was willing to end the fight and someone who would do what was necessary for that to happen.

 _(BREAK)_

Narcissa Malfoy was stressed and had been since she had left that meeting at Gringotts. When she reflected back on said meeting she would get shiver travel down her spine and through her very core at the memory. Learning that her Grandfather was alive had of course shocked her, but that shock was nothing compared to seeing that Potter was alive and what he had become. She hated to admit it to herself but she was terrified of the teen in the same way she feared the Dark Lord, there was just something highly unusual about the pair of them that made her uncomfortable.

Lucius had barely paid any attention to as he had been continuously busy of behalf of his master attempting to manipulate things in his favour so he had not become aware of her tense and nervous disposition. She knew he was spending much time abroad attempting to gain allies for the cause so he had barely been present to notice much anyway. She had tried to find a way around the vow she had given but even the thought of breaking it caused her magic to react very painfully and thus, she found herself in quite the quandary. Her husband continued to strut around like a prized peacock completely ignorant of the developments that she was aware of. He was a capable wizard himself but she knew just from what she saw that he was no match for the Potter boy.

She had written to Draco as Potter had suggested and begged him to keep his head down and not get involved in the coming conflict but had received no reply and assumed that he had already made up his mind. Her stress levels had reached a point where it was quickly becoming unbearable. She knew if Lucius became aware that she had withheld important information like this, regardless of the vow she had given, he would be very displeased and her life would become very miserable, if he allowed her to live that is.

She had discreetly begun moving funds into a private account if the need to flee arose. This was of course a last resort. She loved her son and husband but her self-preservation had caused her to take steps to ensure her safety. She knew that either way the war was going to be a painful experience for her. She was either going to lose what was left of her blood relatives or she was going to lose the family she had married and created. She resigned herself to the fact that the coming days were going to be dark for her regardless of the outcome of the brewing war.

 _(BREAK)_

The Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had barely been seen since he learned of the death of his long-time friend. Dumbledore felt as though a part of him had died along with Rubeus. He had known the man since he was a child and had grown to love him as any man would their own son. Not being that way inclined towards the opposite sex he had never fathered children of his own but he had found the closest thing possible in Rubeus. He carried a lot of guilt where the half-giant was concerned. Not only had he failed to have him reinstated as a student after he had been expelled as a boy, he had been killed while carrying out a task for him and that had pushed him to a grief he hadn't felt since the death of his younger sister. Yes, Dumbledore was miserable and his thoughts of guilt and misery had led him to reflect on other aspects of his life.

His sister had died in an accident involving himself, his brother and Gellert and Dumbledore felt her blood on his hands every passing day. This was the first incident he would never be able to forgive himself for and knew his brother never would either. He could only help that wherever his sister was that she did forgive him for his mistake.

The second instant that came to mind was the death of Gellert during their duel that concluded the second war. He had only intended to subdue him and bring him in but it was not to be. Had he been able to travel with him as planned Albus knew that his friend would not have become what he did as he was always able to rein in his more darker and violent tendencies. Without Albus' guidance he had succumbed to the darkness and become the monster he did and again Dumbledore felt the blood on his hands of all of those that fell to his maniacal cause.

Then there was the most recent victim of his interferences; Harry Potter. The death of Rubeus had made Albus realise that he had the same paternal instincts towards the boy and loved him as though he were his grandson. But again all he could see was the way he had failed the boy. He knew the Dursleys' were not pleasant people but never dreamed they could treat the boy the way they had, that was mistake number one, placing the boy with them.

His school years had barely been any better and each year he only made further mistakes in regards to Harry who continuously surprised the older man with his resilience and abilities. When he discovered the Horcrux within the boy at the end of his third year he retired to his office and wept at what he thought the boys' fate would have to be. He vowed he would dedicate the rest of his life if necessary to find a way to save the boy and he did just that. He had to go against his own morals and venture into some very dark and obscure magic to find the solution but he found it. It was not ideal in any sense but he knew it would have to be done. When he discovered that the abomination had been removed by other means he once again retired to his office and wept for the boy, this time in joy.

Reflecting back on all the mistakes he had made he concluded that he did not deserve the forgiveness of either Harry or Rubeus, but he would do all he could to atone for his mistakes. He knew he would have to have a long and painful conversation with the young man in the future and he would face the consequences when they came. He simply wanted to help Harry as much as he could while he could and would do all he could to do so. He vowed that he would hold nothing back and be completely open and honest with him, if anyone deserved it, it was Harry Potter.

In honour of his fallen friend he had already personally erected a monument in the forbidden forest with the help of many of the creatures who lived there. They all knew, respected and even loved the man who had cared for them when they had needed it. The Acromantula, Aragog, had been inconsolable at the loss of his friend and vowed that his kind would never side with Riddle and would protect the forest from him and his ilk.

Even the centaurs had paid their respects with their own warrior salute that they only gave to their own kind after they had fallen in battle. Dumbledore had been particularly touched by this sentiment knowing that it was very unusual for this honour to be bestowed on a different creature.

The creatures of the forest, upon learning of the death, came from far and wide to add their own touch to the monument. What stood now was a life-sized wooden Norwegian Ridgeback adorned with many gifts from various creatures. There was a unicorn horn, a bow and arrow from the centaurs, an abundance of very rare and valuable Acromantula silk given by Aragog himself, various types of fangs, antlers and feathers, thestral hair and even what Dumbledore suspected was Nundu fur and a chimera claw, he really did not want to know where they had come from.

Albus was certain that Rubeus would love the tribute and only wished he could do more. He knew it was not wise to announce the death publically as yet and knew that even if he did there would be little compassion from the public thanks to the article that Skeeter had published the previous year in regards to his parentage.

Despite his best efforts the depression he felt remained and he was certain it would not shift any time soon. He knew he would have to speak to Harry in the near future but in the mean-time he would do all he could to make his final task at least possible.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius Black was experiencing mixed emotions. He was happy that he had received a letter from Harry this morning requesting a meeting, it was simple note that read;

 _Same Place, Same Time_

 _H_

He was excited to see his godson again but he was very worried about Remus. He had left two months ago to gage the mood of the werewolf clans on the continent and had heard no word from the man since his departure which was very unusual, especially considering that he had written to him shortly after he returned from Gringotts. He knew there was little he could do however as he was stuck he at his hated home.

He knew Harry was trying to locate the traitor rat and only hoped he had good news on that front to give him that very night. He had continued his training in much better spirits and with more determination after witnessing first-hand the development of his godson. He now knew he was more than capable of handling himself in a fight and was pleased with the progress. It was now seldom he wallowed in the guilt he felt in regards to his failing of many years passed. Yes, the pain was still raw but he had been given the chance to redeem himself and he fully intended on doing so as soon as he was a free man, something he was confident would happen with Harry personally seeing to it. All he had to do now was while away the final hours before he would see Harry again and find out what progress, if any, the teen had made.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry Potter had experienced a very mixed six weeks. He had immediately begun his search for the rat and had even attained the help of Dobby. What became clear quickly was that the traitor was hiding and hiding well.

From Arcturus he had learnt that things were beginning to move behind the scenes. A few people of note had gone missing and he had heard of attempts of extortion and intimidation taking place in several establishments. Of course none of this had been reported in the prophet and Harry guessed that this was the work of the idiotic minister.

He had spent time in disguise frequenting Knockturn Alley and many other unsavoury locations until he at last had come across his first lead on Pettigrew which he planned on following the next day.

It had been 3 days ago that he found himself in a rundown pub in the aforementioned alley when he overheard a conversation at the table next to his where two people who were not familiar to him were talking in hushed voices.

"So he sent the rat to Toulouse to represent him?" a very grubby and unkempt man asked his companion disbelievingly.

"Shh, keep it down" his equally unclean acquaintance replied shooting a furtive glance around the room.

Harry pretended to mind his own business and feigned drinking from his filthy glass of firewhisky which he was gradually wandlessly vanishing instead of consuming.

"Yes" the man continued when he was sure they were not being eavesdropped on. "Don't ask me why but he seems to trust him" he added shaking his head.

"I wouldn't trust that piss-ant to parley with flobberworms" the first man declared defiantly.

"Then be grateful it isn't up to you" his friend retorted.

Having gained what he came for Harry placed a single galleon on the bar and nodded at the barman before exiting and making his way home.

When he arrived and informed Arcturus of his development the older man looked pleased with the progress.

"Good work Potter" he praised. "Now you can relax for a couple of days before you go, you have been a surly git since we got back from the family meeting" he proclaimed with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm sorry" Harry intoned sincerely. "It's just that this is important to me" he finished.

"I know, so why don't you go and see the idiot before you go and tell him" Arcturus suggested. "And don't forget what we talked about after the meeting" he added firmly.

Harry could hardly forget the conversation the two had had when they returned from Gringotts.

He had apparated into the drawing room and was making his way to his room when he was called back by Arcturus.

"Potter" the older man called upon his arrival. "We aren't finished yet, you and I need to have a discussion" he requested firmly.

"Yes sir" Harry replied taking a seat in front of the desk where the older man had situated himself.

"You can't fight this war yourself" Arcturus stated simply. "You need allies, someone to stand beside you in battle, someone you would trust with your life, understand?" he asked, not wanting the boy to truly answer.

Harry thought for a moment on what the older man had said and nodded in agreement. As much as he would like to end this war by himself he knew it was not possible.

"Is there anyone you trust that much?" Arcturus asked.

Again, Harry thought about what he had been asked and found that there was only one person who had not wronged him and had been honest with him from the start.

"Only you sir" Harry replied sincerely.

The older man had not expected that answer but found that he was somewhat touched by the sentiment. Despite this he still shook his head ruefully.

"It can't be me" he answered. He raised his hands to silence the young man when he saw that he was going to interrupt. "Let me explain" he requested.

"I, like Dumbledore, have had my war, I am too old to be that person" he stated simply. "Even in my prime I struggled to keep up with Charlus and now I would stand no chance in that position" he explained. "Believe me when the time comes I will fight with everything I have but I cannot be trusted with your life nor can I expect you to carry me as you no doubt would have to" he concluded.

"Then there is no one I can trust that much" Harry replied shrugging.

"Although it pains me to admit it I think there is one person you could rely on, if he learns to curb his foolishness" Arcturus responded.

"Sirius?" Harry questioned.

The older man nodded his concurrence.

"Yes, despite his tendency for stupidity and immaturity he is a very gifted and capable wizard and he seems to be taking this war seriously" the older man explained his reasoning. "And beyond that he cares for you as though you were spawned from his own pathetic loins" he elaborated.

Harry agreed.

In the short amount of time he had spent with his convict of a godfather he had shown him nothing but care and regret for his past actions. The man was willing to give the then thirteen year old Harry a real home without hesitation having only spent a small amount of time with him. Hell, he escaped Azkaban to try and save him from the traitor and had been on the run since.

"And he can learn the same magic as me" Harry piped up in realisation.

"Indeed he can and that is an advantage that neither of you should pass up" the older man replied. "You should at least consider it" Arcturus finished, bringing the conversation to an end.

Harry had spent days considering it and found that despite the lack of presence of his godfather throughout his life, there was no one else he could trust in that way.

He had considered both Ron and Hermione but found the former was fickle at best and his jealously would be intolerable and the latter would more than likely take exception to him doing what needed to be done.

In reality he wanted to protect Hermione more than anything else. He knew he would have much blood on his hands by the end of this and did not want her to have to share his fate. He knew she was a capable witch but he could not be certain on her mind set and how she would deal with what was to come. He loved her as he would a sister, had he had one, and he couldn't face being responsible for corrupting her like that. So he had concluded that Sirius was his best option and actually found himself excited at having someone he could rely on when he needed it. He had spent moments in the last few weeks envisioning himself and his godfather emulating their grandfathers' on the battlefield, sharing a true meaningful relationship the way they should always have had and watching each other's' backs as the older men once did.

Harry shook his head and broke himself from his reflections before answering the older man.

"Yes sir, I remember" he answered.

The older man nodded. "How are you doing with your school work?" he asked the boy knowing he had been paying a lot more attention to it recently.

"I've mastered all the spell work and the theory for both my OWLS and NEWTS and way beyond that" Harry replied.

"Even Runes and Arithmancy?" Arcturus questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Yes sir, it seems I have a knack for them" Harry replied shrugging.

He had been very surprised at how easy he had found the subjects and found both of them useful with his spell work.

"Impressive" the older man replied. "Well we will get Christmas out of the way and I will get Griselda Marchbanks to come and do your OWLS with you" he said. "She can be trusted and I will get an oath of silence from her" he explained. "She is firmly in Dumbledores' corner and will understand why and won't ask many questions" he finished.

Harry just nodded and prepared to leave for his rendezvous with Sirius.

"I will come back here before I leave tomorrow" Harry explained to Arcturus.

"Okay, good, that gives us one more chance to go over the plan" the older man responded.

Harry just rolled his eyes and shook his head. They had spent the last two days on the plan and it was firmly implanted in his mind.

"Yes sir" Harry shouted, standing to attention and adding a mock salute before disapparating.

"Cheeky Bastard" Arcturus mumbled to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Harry appeared in the conference room at Gringotts, having gotten permission from Barchoke to do so, and awaited the arrival of his godfather. He didn't have to wait long as soon, the door opened to reveal the man. The two looked at each other appraisingly for a few seconds before they each closed the distance between them and grabbed each other in a firm embrace. Eventually they broke apart and Sirius was the first to speak.

"How are you pup?" he asked clearly concerned.

"I'm ok Sirius, really I am" he said raising a hand to prevent his godfather questioning him further on his welfare. "Before I forget I have something for you" he added removing a galleon from his pocket.

Sirius was confused by the gift.

"My life may not be great right now Harry but my coin bag is not that sparse" he explained.

Harry just shook his head at the man.

"It is a portkey that will take you to the wandmaker that made mine. Just tap it with your wand and wait for him to activate it from his end to take you to him and he will make you a couple of wands that will work best for you" he explained.

Sirius was clearly taken aback by what he had been given.

"Thank you" he said gratefully. "The one I'm using is ok but it could definitely be better" he concluded.

"Any news on what Dumbledore has the order guarding?" Harry asked.

"No" Sirius replied shaking his head. "He's barely been seen since he found out about Hagrid, he took it very badly" he finished sadly. "Any news on the rat?" he asked hopefully, changing the subject.

"I'm going for him tomorrow, from what I have learnt he is in Toulouse working on something for Voldemort" he explained.

"France" Sirius yelped. "You're not going alone are you?" he asked worriedly.

"I am" Harry replied. "I can take care of myself Sirius and you are certainly not in any position to help me and everyone else either thinks that I'm dead or missing, it has to be done this way, I can get in and out quietly without raising any suspicion" he explained further.

"I know pup, but I don't like it" Sirius responded dragging a hand through his hair nervously.

"It will be fine" Harry said attempting to reassure the man.

Sirius just nodded although he really was not for this idea at all.

"Did you only want to see me to give me this?" he asked waving the coin in front of him.

"No" Harry replied sincerely. "I've known about you for 2 years and we haven't spent more than an hour with each other and there's always been other people there" he continued. "I'm pretty sure my Dad would be pissed about that" he finished with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I think old prongs would prank and hex us into oblivion if he could" Sirius added scratching his chin with a chuckle of his own.

"I went and saw them for the first time on Halloween" Harry spoke quietly.

"Oh pup, I wish I could have been there with you" his godfather said sincerely placing a hand on his godsons shoulder.

"It's ok" Harry replied, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. "It was horrible though Mum and Dad's graves were nothing like they should have been so I changed them" he said without any regret.

"Show me" Sirius responded with a raised eyebrow.

"We can't go there now it's too risky, I don't know if the place is being watched" he explained.

"Pensieve?" the animagus retorted.

"Barchoke isn't here and I doubt he'd like us going through his stuff" Harry replied knowingly.

"I have one and a bottle of firewhisky at mine" Sirius said in a suggestive tone. "No one else is there and we won't be disturbed in the drawing room" he assured the teen.

Harry just nodded and smirked at the smile his godfather gave him. Sirius handed him a scrap of parchment which he read.

 _The headquarters of the order of the phoenix can be found at number 12 Grimmauld Place._

"Fidelius Charm?" Harry asked impressed.

"Yes, how the hell would you know that?" Sirius asked incredulously, knowing it wasn't learnt about until seventh year.

"I do read Sirius, what you think I've had my thumb up my arse the last six months?" he asked in jest.

"You do surprise me pup" the other man intoned. "Can you apparate or do you need the help of your ruggedly handsome godfather for once?" he asked posturing up and posing in a superior manner.

Harry just raised an eyebrow before disappearing without a sound.

"Oh come on" Sirius said loudly looking towards the ceiling and gesturing dramatically with his arms. "Silent apparation? Really?" he questioned whoever was watching him from above.

With that he shook his head and followed his godson, trying his very best to be as silent as possible.

He appeared in the familiar street outside of his home and immediately fell on his backside.

"Oww" he moaned clamouring to his feet and rubbing his posterior.

"You tried to be silent didn't you?" Harry asked trying not to laugh.

"Why can't I do it?" Sirius whined petulantly.

"Because you're a crusty old mutt who spent 12 years in Azkaban" Harry answered casually. "You better go in first and see if the coast is clear" he added tapping himself on the head with his wand and disappearing under a Disillusionment charm.

"Crusty old mutt?" Sirius mumbled to himself, shook his head at his godson and entered the house to ensure it was empty.

He entered the kitchen to find Tonks sat drinking a cup of tea.

"Been somewhere nice?" She asked when he entered the room.

"Is anyone else here?" Sirius asked urgently.

"No it's just me and I was just about to leave" she answered. "Why?" she inquired.

Sirius ignored her and gestured to the front door to indicate it was safe for Harry to come in. He did so and dropped his charm when he saw it was only the two of them inside.

"Miss Tonks" he said to the now pink haired auror. "It is nice to see you again" he added giving her a grin which made the metamorph flush.

"Potter" she acknowledged simply attempting to compose herself and averted her gaze towards the table.

Harry mock sighed and looked at the young woman appraisingly.

"I do wish you would call me Harry, we have been intimate after all… in battle of course" he added seeing the woman flush further.

Sirius was shaking with the effort to keep himself from bursting with laughter. He had never seen his cousin like this and he knew she would not appreciate him laughing at her expense.

"Yes… well, I have to go" she replied and stood suddenly unable to control her hair changing to a deep crimson to match her face. She left the room in a hurry and the sound of the front door opening and closing was heard very soon after, at which point Sirius lost complete control and roared with laughter, banging his fist on the table.

"When did you become so smooth with the ladies?" he asked wiping tears from his eyes after he had managed to compose himself.

"I don't know" Harry replied sincerely. "I guess when you are Voldemort's number one target women really aren't so scary" he added with a shrug.

"Come on Casanova" Sirius said shaking his head and leading them out of the room, "The pensieve is up here" he nodded towards the stairs.

They entered a nicely furnished drawing room and each stood at the circular oak table in the centre where the pensieve sat.

"I never got the chance to visit them either" Sirius began sadly. "Let's see how much they messed it up" he requested, gesturing to the pensieve.

Harry complied and removed the memory of him and Arcturus visiting the graveyard in Godrics' Hollow and placed it in the stone bowl. Sirius entered the pensieve and Harry waited for him to return, not wanting to revisit the memory just yet.

It was around 10 minutes later that his godfather emerged with puffy eyes and tears streaming down his face. He immediately grabbed Harry and simply cried into his should for a few moments before he pulled himself together enough to speak.

"They would have loved what you did" he said confidently. "Thank you for doing that for them" he added sincerely.

"It just felt right" Harry replied solemnly.

Sirius nodded and summoned a bottle of firewhisky and two glasses from a cabinet on the other side of the room. He poured them both a drink and passed one to Harry before taking a seat. Harry followed his lead and to the two sat in silence for some time, sipping from their glasses.

"You know" Sirius said breaking the silence. "Your father was the first friend I ever had" he continued and took another sip from his glass. "Being a Black is hard enough with the family reputation and growing up myself and my brother were kept away from other families because of our mother" he explained bitterly draining his glass and refilling it.

Harry sat in silence and just took in every word his godfather was saying.

"I wanted to be different so badly and begged the sorting hat to put me anywhere but in Slytherin" he explained. "When I was sorted into Gryffindor everyone was shocked" he added shaking his head with a bark of laughter. "I sat at the table and everyone moved away from me thinking I had tricked the hat. But James came over and introduced himself. He didn't care about my family reputation, probably because of Aunt Dorea being his mother. He sat down and ate with me and didn't care what anyone else thought, that was the type of man your father was Harry" he said looking his godson in the eye.

Harry nodded gratefully at the other man for the information he was sharing.

"Don't get me wrong, he was an arse mostly" he began again laughing. "But he was my best friend and we were both arses together. We didn't take much seriously but we always made sure our work was done and we were the best in our year, along with your mother of course, but we spent our school years playing jokes and pranks and saw everything as a laugh. It wasn't until our fifth year when You-know-who became a real problem that we started to change and even then it wasn't until we graduated that we saw how bad things were getting for ourselves" he finished draining his glass again and pouring another helping for himself and Harry.

"What happened?" Harry asked eagerly.

"We joined the auror academy" Sirius answered simply. "Me, your father, Frank Longbottom, Alice, who would become his wife and the Prewett Twins, they were Molly's younger brothers. They wouldn't let Remus join and Peter was nowhere good enough. Your mother stayed on at Hogwarts and completed a charms mastery with Flitwick" he added.

"If my Dad was such an arse, how did he end up with my mum?" Harry asked trying to get his Godfather to backtrack a little.

"Ahh, well your mother really did not like your father much until our seventh year, he was far too immature for her" he began. "Your mother was a lot like Hermione at first, a real know it all and wasn't very popular because of it. But that changed as she got older and she curbed her attitude quite a bit and she became really good friends with Alice and a few others" he explained further. "Your father hounded her for a date from third year and she agreed to go out with him in seventh I think to just get him off her case" he said chuckling. "Whatever he did on that date must have impressed the hell out of her because after that they were inseparable and she fell for him hard, everyone could see it" he finished knowingly.

"And they left school and got married" Harry stated.

"That's pretty much it" Sirius replied scratching his chin. "I know it's not much but that's how it was. You have to remember Harry they were only 21 when they were killed, they barely made it in to adulthood" he concluded sadly.

"I know" Harry replied just as sadly. "What was it like when they found out mum was pregnant?" Harry asked wanting to change the subject to something less upsetting.

Sirius grinned at the question. "It was very amusing" he replied. "I was at home and prongs suddenly appeared in my front room looking very pale and struggling to breathe. He was a real mess, stuttering and jabbering like an idiot" he added shaking his head. "I thought there had been an attack until he came out with the classic line" he said with his eyes full of mirth.

"What did he say?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Now don't hold this against me pup, remember I was young and thought it was funny" he half pleaded, half chuckled.

"Well?" Harry demanded irritably.

Sirius sighed. "He told me that the contraceptive charm I had given him didn't work" he yielded. "What he actually said was; I should of known a contraceptive charm wouldn't turn my semen orange" he finished laughing.

"How the hell did that come about?" Harry asked astounded at his fathers' foolishness.

"Well I was drunk and your father appeared pretty much the same as he did that night and asked me for a powerful contraceptive charm, you see powerful wizards sometimes need something a little stronger. I gave him a colour changing charm me and Remus had worked out that would change your bodily fluids a different colour, it's quite clever really" he explained with a pleased expression. "Anyway, the result of that little mishap was your mother's pregnancy" he concluded.

"So I was a mistake?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Not at all Pup" Sirius replied. "Your Mother was delighted it was James that wanted to wait at first but when he got over the shock he wanted nothing more than to have you. Even though he was terrified and your mother was a hormonal mess it was the thing he wanted the most. Your grandparents were just as delighted" he added trying to placate his irate godson..

"Yeah, I have the pictures" Harry replied shaking his head and draining his glass.

Both were beginning to feel the effects of the whisky but were enjoying the long overdue time they were having together. It was Harry that broke the silence next.

"What about you, didn't you meet someone worth holding on to?" he asked sarcastically, completely aware of his godfathers reputation. He was surprised to see a pained expression appear on the mans' face.

"I did" he replied swallowing deeply, the pained look remaining.

"I'm sorry Sirius" Harry cut in sincerely. "I didn't realise" he finished lamely.

"You didn't know" Sirius replied shaking his head. "It's ok pup" he said trying to assure the young man". Wait here a moment" he added and left the room.

He returned a few minutes later and handed Harry a photograph. The photo was of a younger Sirius and a very beautiful dark haired woman who was wrapped in his arms. Harry could clearly see how happy they both were and could only compare it to pictures he had seen of his parents and grandparents. The young woman had hazel eyes and her features were very delicate. She looked almost frail but was stood as tall as his godfather and her eyes brimmed with an air of confidence.

"Her name was Marlene McKinnon and we were engaged to be married" Sirius began emotionally. "I loved her just as much as your father loved your mother and she was the only woman who ever tamed me and could keep me in line" he added with a forced laugh. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about her Harry" he said sincerely. "I couldn't ever love someone the same way I loved her, still love her" he corrected. "It was just everything about her, the fact that she was beautiful meant nothing to me compared to just who she was. She was beautiful inside and out, she just had this way about her that I couldn't resist and I know she felt the same about me. She accepted me for who I was and I changed, not because she made me but because of her. She made me a better man, the best man I could be" he finished with a tear escaping from his eye.

"What happened to her?" Harry asked handing the picture back to Sirius who clung to it as if it were a lifeline.

"I'm not completely sure" he replied. "Her family home was razed to the ground by Death Eaters and they were all killed" he explained.

"I'm really sorry Sirius, I didn't mean to drag that up" Harry apologised again sincerely.

"It's ok pup, honestly, it has taken me a long time to learn to live with it but I have it is just one of the pieces of guilt I have to carry with me, just like your parents" he added sadly.

"That wasn't your fault though" Harry pointed out.

"I didn't personally sell them out but I may as well have" Sirius replied, clearly angry at himself. "It was me that convinced them to use the rat and even after he handed them over I went after him instead of being there for you" he added ruefully. "I should have taken you and raised you as your parents wanted. Instead I was reckless and went after Wormtail and ended up in Azkaban" he said angrily.

"You didn't know that would happen" Harry interjected.

"No but you should have been my first priority" he replied taking a long pull straight from the bottle. "Because of me you were raised by those bastards who did god knows what to you and that is my fault Harry, that blame lies only with me" he finished taking another long drink.

"If that is how you really feel then redeem yourself" Harry stated simply.

"And how can I do that pup, look at me" he said gesturing to himself. "I am an on the run prisoner that can't even leave my own house because everyone thinks I am a murderer and would flay me alive in the streets given half the chance" he finished heatedly.

"We can change that when I get the rat" Harry responded. "And I survived the Dursleys Sirius, yes it was unpleasant and I hate the bastards for what they put me through but I'm still here" he declared.

He took a moment to compose himself and breathed deeply before he continued.

"The truth is I need you now more than I ever did before" he began sincerely. "Your grandfather was right, I can't fight this war alone and I need people by my side that I can trust with my life and who trust me the same way" he continued. "After speaking to you tonight I know more than ever that you are that person Sirius and I would gladly have you watching my back when I need it most and I would gladly cover yours" he finished passionately.

Sirius was dumbfounded at his godsons' declaration and couldn't find the words to reply.

Harry saw that his godfather was unable to answer so instead he removed a leather book from his pocket that he resized to the original large leather tome it was.

"This is a book with both the Potter and Black family magic in" he explained to his Godfather.

"I heard aunt Cassie speak about them once, she said that Charlus and my grandfather both had one but I didn't believe it. Me and James overheard them a few times reminiscing about their days at war but we didn't hear anything about this" he said in obvious surprise.

"I have the other copy" Harry explained. "If you really feel guilty for all of those things then learn this" he said gesturing to the book. "Let's make every last one of those fuckers pay for what they took from us and make sure they don't do it to anyone else" Harry said fiercely. "I know you hate your family and don't like the magic but do it for them Sirius" Harry pleaded. "Do it for my parents and your fiancé, don't let their deaths be for nothing" he finished.

Harry let his words sink in before he continued. He knew he was close to convincing his godfather and knew he only needed to push a little more.

"I think this war needs a Potter-Black alliance just like Grindelwald faced, don't you?" he questioned Sirius.

The emotion Sirius was feeling was very obvious. The man was overwhelmed at the chance at redemption he had been given and he vowed to himself that he wouldn't squander it. He had failed James and Lily and in a way he had failed Marlene too, but he would not fail Harry, he would die before that happened again. He took the book from his godson and nodded resolutely.

"There is no one else I would rather stand with and fall with if necessary pup" he slurred sincerely. With that proclamation he succumbed to the large amount of alcohol he had consumed and passed out, hitting his head heavily on the table.

"Sleep well Padfoot, I will be back before you know it" Harry said quietly and placed a kiss on the head of his godfather before he left the house and apparated back home.

He appeared in the drawing room where Arcturus was sat reading a very old looking book. When the older man realised Harry had returned he raised an eyebrow at the drunken teen.

"Good night?" he asked.

Harry just nodded and took a seat opposite the man.

"I can trust him, like you said" he informed Arcturus.

The older man was relieved to hear it and felt a little easier at the prospect of the coming war. He knew the boy had someone he could rely on and trusted both his and Harrys' judgement of his grandson.

"What do you know of the McKinnon's?" Harry asked.

Arcturus pondered the question. They had been a prominent family before they were eliminated in the last war. They were one of the few families he genuinely respected and their loss was felt throughout the entire wizarding community. They were an old family like his own and were a part of the neutral faction when it came to the political arena. It was surprising when they were targeted by Riddle, it made no sense to anyone. They didn't have much influence and they were not as affluent as some of the other families. Fenton McKinnon, the head of the family, was a very outspoken man and quite the proficient fighter but he refused to choose sides. Perhaps it was this that made him a target. Whatever the reasoning, it was something Arcturus could never be sure of.

"They were an old family and well respected" he began. "They were killed in the last war for some reason, why do you ask?" he questioned the young man.

"Sirius was engaged to one of the daughters, I was just curious" Harry responded.

"Was he?" Arcturus asked with raised eyebrows. "That would have been a match I approved of" he added thoughtfully.

Harry remained silent and waited for the older man to continue. When he did speak it was not about Sirius or the McKinnon's' however.

"You are ready for tomorrow?" he asked the teen.

"Yes" Harry replied. "I have my portkeys and cloak ready and everything else I will need" he added seeing that a simple yes was not sufficient.

"Good" the older man answered. "Remember, do not take stupid risks" he said pointing at the teen. "If it gets fucked up then you use that portkey, understand?" he asked the teen sternly.

"I understand sir" Harry replied genuinely knowing the older man was demonstrating a lot of trust in him.

Arcturus nodded, pointed his wand at Harry and muttered a sobering charm.

"You will need a clear head, drinking the night before is not wise" he lectured firmly. "Now get some sleep, tomorrow is your first real test in this war, show them what it is they are up against Potter" he finished dismissing the young man.

Harry stood, all signs of the drunken weariness he felt were now absent. He nodded at the older man.

"I will sir" he said confidently.

With that he left the room and made his way to his bed, tomorrow was going to be a long day for Harry Potter.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius Black awoke with a pounding headache and feeling confused as to why he was asleep at the drawing room table. It was then that he saw the book left behind by godson and the memories of the previous night came flooding back.

He remembered the promise he had given Harry and the vow that he had made to himself, he would not let him down. He removed his wand and summoned a hangover cure from the alcohol cabinet and the vial in one long gulp.

Harry was going after the rat today and Sirius knew he had work to do. Today was going to be nerve-wracking for the marauder and he planned on passing it productively. He made to leave the room to begin his day when he was cut short by a tapping on the window. Outside was a very bedraggled looking owl that he allowed entry and removed the roll of parchment attached to its leg. The owl then flew and perched on the back of one of the chairs clearly keen to rest itself. Sirius unrolled the parchment and began to read.

 _Padfoot,_

 _I am sorry it has taken me so long to reply, things on the continent are much worse than I thought they would be. It seems the friends of our dark friend are much busier here than they are at home. I had a run in with Greyback and a few others but I managed to give them the slip and I am currently making my way home_. _Please pass on my condolences in regards to our large friend and I will see you soon._

 _Moony_

The relief Sirius felt having heard from his childhood friend was overwhelming, he allowed himself to release a deep breath knowing that the werewolf was ok.

He left the room to begin his day, his thoughts with both his godson and the task he was attempting and the werewolf he regarded as his own brother.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry found himself at the port of Dover waiting to board the ferry that would take him to Calais. He and Arcturus had decided that it would be best to travel using muggle transportation as to not raise any suspicions by using a portkey or unwarranted apparition. The December air on the coast of England was cold, yet refreshing and the steady warm breath of the young man could clearly be seen leaving his body as he exhaled. Harry was grateful for the fact that he had learned warming charms and was using them liberally to maintain his body temperature. He had forgone wearing a heavy coat or any other thick clothing that would weigh him down or encumber his movement knowing he needed to be as light and loose as possible.

Not having a passport Harry boarded the boat under his cloak and stood at the rear of the deck in a secluded corner. As the ferry left the port he watched as the coast drifted further away from him particularly focusing on the white cliffs that reminded him of a song he had heard his Aunt Petunia listen to sung by a woman. He was a young boy at the time but he still remembered the beauty of the song and the voice of the lady that was singing it. His entire world was on that small island he was now leaving and it really hit him how small his home was. The world is a huge place and he had spent his entire on only a tiny fraction of it. It may be small but to Harry it was and would always be where his heart was.

He knew if he truly wanted to he could flee the coming war and see the rest of the world, spend the rest of his life drifting from place to place but he knew he would not be happy and the thought of the guilt of leaving his home in the hands of Riddle sickened him and made him feel ashamed.

He scowled at the thought and found himself distracted by the appearance of a man carrying a little girl who could not be any more than 5 years old.

"What are they Daddy?" the little girl asked pointing to the cliffs in the distance.

"They are the white cliffs of Dover Ella" he replied. "When you see them coming closer that's when you know you are going home" he added knowingly.

The little girl stared at the cliffs in awe.

"They are really pretty Daddy" she said in an innocent voice.

"They are" her father agreed. "Just like you" he said playfully swatting her on the nose with his finger, eliciting a giggle from the small child. "Now I think we should go back in, don't you" he asked. "We don't want you catching a cold do we?" he continued, raising an eyebrow at his daughter who giggled again.

"Yes Daddy because Mummy would be mad at you again like when turned all our clothes pink" she said sternly.

"One time you put a red sock in the wash and you pay for that mistake for the rest of your life" he grumbled to himself as he walked away to take his daughter back inside.

Harry smiled at the interaction between the two and was hit with a sudden realisation, an epiphany if you will.

Yes, he was fighting to avenge himself and the wrongs his family had suffered at the hands of Riddle and his followers but he was fighting for something else, he was fighting for those that couldn't. He was fighting for the moments of innocence like the one he had just witnessed. He was fighting for the right for everyone to have children and bring them into a world that's was safe, a luxury he had not been given. He was fighting for those every day rights that most took for granted and he was fighting for a future that he wanted for himself. A future that was not plagued by Dark Lords and a future where he could finally have the family he had always craved, a family he would do what was necessary to protect and ensure they were happy. Harry Potter was not only fighting for his family passed but the family he was hoping was to come and all the other families who had the right to a life without a conflict and constant peril hanging over them.

He had feared that he would lose himself in the pursuit of vengeance the way his grandfather had and would lose his way if that vengeance was not attained. Harry realised that yes, he was very similar to his Grandfather, but he was his own man and had his own agenda an agenda that was worth his life if he was to fail, something he refused to even consider.

He was dragged from his musings as the ferry arrived in Calais and he quickly exited the boat and headed towards the town to get some food. He had heard great things about the French pastries and was particularly keen to try them while he was here.

He made his way into town and quickly found a small patisserie which he entered having smelled the inviting aroma coming from within. At the tinkle of the bell a young woman appeared from the back where she had clearly been baking as she was wiping flour from her hands with a small white towel.

"Bonjour Madame" Harry greeted her. "Deux Croissant, s'il vous plait" he continued.

The woman looked him over critically before shaking her head and placing two of the pastries into a paper bag. "Your French, eet ees terrible" she declared handing the bag to Harry.

"Then it is just as well that I have other talents that more than make up for it" Harry replied not missing a beat and shot the woman a winning smile. "Merci" he added handing over some francs to the woman who was blushing at the implied innuendo.

"Oui, eet ees just as well" she managed to stammer.

Harry left the shop shaking his head in amusement. He checked the time and saw that he had around half an hour before he needed to catch his train so decided he would take a leisurely walk to the station.

His journey through the town was uneventful but he enjoyed it none-the-less. He took in what seemed to be the usual hustle and bustle of the daily life here and found that it was tranquil in its own way. He enjoyed the architecture of the buildings never having seen workmanship such as this in person. Before he knew it he had arrived at the station still clutching the empty bag that his pastries had come in. He deposited it into a bin as he passed and made his way to the train he knew he had to catch. He removed his cloak that he had placed in his satchel and draped it over himself to hide him from view, it was now time for him to be focused on the task at hand.

He entered the train and found an empty compartment that he locked with a simple locking charm and placed a simple muggle-repelling on the door to ensure his privacy. After some time the train pulled away from the station and Harry settled down for the journey ahead enjoying the passing scenery.

He had been travelling for around 7 hours and it was no longer to possible to see the passing landscapes properly as darkness had begun to fall. He resigned himself to reading the book he had brought on potions with him to pass the remainder of the time. He had barely begun reading the page on felix felicis when he was distracted by bright jets of light of various colours that suddenly began in the distance outside the train. It was unmistakably spell fire and Harry could not help but marvel at the recklessness displayed by the French wizards using magic where muggles would pass through even though there were no buildings in sight. He shook his head at them and paused when he recognised the types of spells that were being fired. These spells were not friendly and were certainly dark in nature. He noticed the group dressed in dark cloaks were pursuing another consisting of several women who were fleeing. He saw the women had quickly been cornered by them and he growled in frustration, he knew he had to intervene, probably due to his saving people thing that Hermione was always referring to.

With a sigh of annoyance he apparated out of the train to a line of trees that were behind and close to the group of people.

He appeared at the trees completely silently as planned and was immediately glad he had decided to investigate. The pursuers were all dressed in full Death Eater garb and had surrounded the women who were begging in French to be let go.

The Death Eaters just laughed and Harry felt a rage boil inside him, but it was what happened next that really pushed him to his limits. He flicked his wand into his hand and took aim at the man and with another flick he sent 3 black arrows towards the Death Eaters.

" _Crucio"_ the Death Eater roared, hitting one of the women with curse much to the amusement of his 7 companions who laughed at his antics.

The woman screamed in agony and could do nothing but twitch under the onslaught of the spell. Every fibre of her body felt as though it was on fire and she immediately wished the man would just kill her and end the torture.

"That's it, scream you whore" the man shouted at the quivering heap of flesh beneath his curse. "My master….

He was cut short, was suddenly gurgling and wearing an expression of pure shock as a black arrow had entered his neck from the back and was protruding from the front through his throat, causing blood to leak profusely from the wound.

His companion to the right of him had fallen also, instantly silent, as an arrow had found itself embedded in his skull and one sticking out of his chest that had gone straight through his heart via his back.

Both groups turned towards the direction that the arrows had come from in shock, the women feeling hope and the Death Eaters furious that someone would have the gall to interrupt their activities. What they saw had them all shuddering as a shiver ran down their spines.

A tall, young and muscular man was stalking towards them with purpose. He was dressed in a dark grey hooded sweater with jeans and white trainers. It was not the obvious athleticism of the young man that had the Death Eaters shuddering, but the brightly glowing green eyes that could be seen clearly even in fast approaching darkness. They could see he was a wizard by the unusual white and black wand that he held loosely in his right hand.

The women shuddered at the power that the young man was radiating, they could feel the magic and the fury rolling off of him in waves and found themselves worried for him, it was 6 against one, not the most favourable odds.

One of the braver Death Eaters stepped forward to intercept the newcomer.

"You should not have gotten involved sonny" he shouted at the man who just kept walking towards them without hesitation. _"Avada Kedavra"_ he roared aiming the killing curse at him.

The women screamed as the curse hurtled towards the young man who simply turned his head slightly to avoid the jet of green light that missed him by inches. He then flicked his wand towards his would be killer and the man was instantly hovering six feet in the air, his arms outstretched as though he had been crucified.

A further flick of his wand and the Death Eater was screaming in agony as each of his limbs were ripped from the sockets with loud teeth gritting, pops one after the other.

The rest of the Death Eaters were shocked at the use of magic the young wizard was demonstrating and knew he was no slouch with that unusual wand he had.

They all began firing curses simultaneously at the man knowing that it was there best chance to take him out quickly and not get hurt themselves.

The ambushed women watched in a mixture of horror and awe as the young wizard moved with a speed and grace that none of them had ever witnessed, dodging the lethal curses and batting some aside as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience to him. It wasn't until another killing curse was fired at him that he retaliated with a spell of his own. He conjured a large, thick slab of granite in front of him that exploded as the curse impacted. In the blink of an eye he had transfigured the airborne debris in to a long javelin type projectile and banished it towards one of the men who quickly produced a shield.

The rod of granite whistled through the air, passed straight through the barrier and struck the man through the chest with a sickening crunch, the end impaling into the ground. They watched in morbid fascination as the body slid down the shaft under the weight of itself, the man screaming the full descent.

The young man then hissed something incoherent that had them shivering again and feeling uneasy. At his hiss the ground beneath one of the men transformed in to the head of a serpent which instantly grabbed the man in its maw up to the neck and simply held him there as the man panicked and tried to escape.

The wizard then sent a long stream of boiling water at one of the cloaked men who screamed in agony as his skint was burnt red raw as it struck him. The young man then had a look of deep concentration on his face and his eyes appeared to glow even brighter. With a sharp jab a thick bolt of lightning careened from his wand and hit the man silencing him permanently and filling the air with the nauseating smell of burnt flesh that had the women retching.

He then turned to the last two capable of fighting back who now seemed reluctant to engage him further. He fired a pink jagged spell that caught one of them on the side of his torso almost cleaving the man in two and he joined his comrades as nothing more than a bested heap on the floor.

He finally fired a bone breaker with incredible speed that ploughed in to the man's neck, killing him instantly. He then approached the last man that he had captured in the earth serpent and addressed him in a casual yet dangerous tone.

"Where is the rat" he asked in a low voice.

"Please" the captured man begged. "He was with us when we found them" he said shakily gesturing to the group of women.

The young man then turned and scanned the area with his still fury filled and glowing eyes. He muttered a spell under his breath and growled in frustration when it did not yield the results he expected.

"The coward obviously ran" he spat turning back to his prisoner.

He then flicked his wand and hissed again, releasing the man from his bind.

"Wand" he commanded holding out his hand.

The other man reluctantly complied and handed it over and thought better than to protest as the younger man snapped it.

"Go" he instructed gesturing to the large wooded area behind them.

The Death Eater did not need telling twice he left quickly and made his way to the indicated area.

"You are letting 'im go?" one of the women asked incredulously.

The young man did not even turn to look at them when he replied.

"He won't even make it to the trees" he explained knowingly.

With his proclamation the women turned to watch the fleeing man only to see him clutch his chest and fall to the ground just shy of the first line of trees.

The woman that had been under the crucitaus turned to look at the young man who was now walking towards them. She steeled herself and allowed her eyes to meet his. They were still glowing but much more gently now and the look of fury had now been replaced by one of concern.

"Are you okay Madame?" he asked softly. "I know from experience that that is awful, can you stand?" he inquired offering her a hand to help her to her feet which she took.

She managed to get to her feet but collapsed in to the mans' arms instantly and he simply scooped her up and carried her in them as though she was a child. She felt safe there and the pain seemed to ease now that she was off of the ground. She couldn't move even if she wanted to and found that she in fact didn't. She lost all control as the horror of the evening settled in and she sobbed in to the young wizards' chest and he pulled her closer to himself in a gentle embrace in what she knew was an attempt to comfort her.

The rest of the women watched how the young man who had just decimated eight other men without remorse had transformed in to the gentle man they were now seeing. He no longer looked the terrifying killer he had only moments ago, he instead looked every bit the saviour he was. They were all shaken from their individual thoughts by the man addressing them.

"We need to get her somewhere out of the cold" he said gently. "Which one of you live the closest?" he asked the group.

"She does" one of the women stuttered indicating her friend in his arms. "She leeves just over ze 'ill there" she explained pointing to a hill close by.

"Ok, lead the way" he requested with a nod towards the hill.

 _(BREAK)_

Peter Pettigrew was astounded at what he had just witnessed and could only be grateful that he had fallen behind as his team had pursued the women, he was not built for running being as short and stout as he was.

He watched the unknown young wizard dispatch of his men as though they were nothing. Thy outnumbered him 8 to 1 and he hadn't even been scratched. The magic he had seen was on par with that of his masters and he knew he would have to report what he had seen and what had happened to his Death Eaters.

He shuddered at the thought knowing that a punishment was coming his way. He had failed in his mission to capture the woman and he cursed the fallen men for playing too much and not taking their assignment seriously. He scurried away in his rat form to inform his master as quickly as possible knowing the longer he waited the worse the punishment would be.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry followed the 7 women who were leading him while he carried the final member of the group. He reflected back on his performance and was content in the way he handled himself. He knew he could not allow any of the men to escape and report back to Riddle, he was not ready to come out in to the open just yet.

"Why ees it you are carrying 'er and not using your wand?" one of the women questioned him suspiciously.

Harry was not fazed by the question and answered the woman who clearly had no exposure or knowledge of the Cruciatus curse except for what she had seen tonight.

"Madame your friend was held under the Cruciatus curse, this way is much more comfortable for her as I can hold her and she won't be bumped around too much, and even the most mild exposure to foreign magic after the curse would be quite painful for her" he explained.

The other woman just nodded at his answer and questioned him further.

"'ow old are you?" she asked. "You look very young but your eyes look like zhey 'ave seen much, non?" she inquired.

"More than you could ever know" he mumbled quietly so that even the woman who asked the question couldn't quite hear his reply. He grew weary of the questions and opted to remain silent despite seeing that the woman was waiting for an answer.

The woman persisted in trying to gain information.

"You are eenglish, non?" she asked to which Harry simply nodded but maintained his silence.

Seeing that the young man was not going to answer any more the woman stopped questioning him, not wanting to annoy the man.

It was only ten minutes later that the group emerged on the other side of the hill and Harry saw the house for the first time. Clearly the woman came from an affluent family as it was more of a mansion than a house. The building was carved from white stone and had a high matching wall that enclosed the property within it. Despite its large size the house looked very homely and inviting.

The 7 women and Harry carrying the last made their way in to the entrance hall of the house where one of the women called out frantically causing a man to appear shortly afterwards, who froze at the scene before looking shocked and angry. He then began shouting at Harry in French and he only understood a few words here and there.

The man was tall, broadly built and looked fairly rugged. He had short blonde hair that was carefully combed backwards and he had a goatee to complete his looks. He had icy blue eyes that were currently filled with both confusion and anger as he continued his tirade. Harry was not intimidated by the man however so he just stood and waited for the man to finish his rant.

The man was cut off by one of the women who grabbed him in an attempt to calm down. He stopped his tirade and listened to what she was saying. Harry could not understand what was being said but he knew she was explaining what had happened. The man's expression changed several times throughout the explanation from anger to fear back to anger and then sadness coupled with a rage that made him shake uncontrollably. He gave the woman some instructions and she left to carry them out. He then turned to Harry and gestured for him to follow him, which he did, followed by the remainder of the women.

They entered a lavishly decorated parlour and the man gestured for Harry to place the woman he was carrying on a comfortable looking couch. Harry complied and as he placed the woman on the couch she moaned.

"It's ok now" Harry comforted her by taking her hand. "You're home" he finished giving the hand he held a gentle squeeze.

"Zhank you" the woman replied weakly and attempted to give the teen a smile which came off as more of a grimace.

The woman who had left to carry out the instructions the man had given her returned carrying a vial of what Harry recognised as a powerful pain relief potion. She poured the potion down her friends throat who sighed in relief and immediately begun to look better.

"You are eenglish, oui?" the man questioned Harry.

"Yes sir" Harry replied still watching the woman who had fallen asleep now.

The man just nodded at Harry and led him to the adjoining room with the rest of the women. They were now in what Harry saw was a living room. The man gestured for Harry to take a seat which he gratefully accepted, he was feeling a little tired from the fight and carrying the mans' wife.

"I am sorry for shouting at you, I saw my wife in another man's arms and I assumed zhe worst" the man explained with genuine remorse.

"It's ok sir" Harry replied. "I understand" he explained nodding to the man.

The man gave Harry a weak but genuine smile.

"It seems zhat I am een your debt monsieur" he stated in a business like tone. "Name what eet ees you want and eef I can do eet then eet will be done" he added firmly.

Harry just shook his head at the man before he replied.

"You owe me nothing sir" he began. "I didn't help them to gain something, I did it because it was the right thing to do" he answered respectfully and truthfully.

The man looked dumbfounded as did the rest of the women in the room.

"Zhere is nuzzing zhat I can do for you?" he asked incredulously.

"No sir, I have more money than I could ever spend and the only thing I do want is something that can't be given" Harry replied a little sadly.

"And what ees eet zhat you want?" the man asked clearly confused by Harrys' answer.

Harry looked the man in the eye before he replied.

"Peace" he stated simply. He was aware that it was only peace that could give him everything else he wanted in life.

The rest of the occupants looked at each other clearly confused by the young man in the room. It took some time for them to think clearly enough to question the young boy further who was clearly lost in his own thoughts.

"Eef I cannot reward you can I please at least learn zhe name of zhe man zhat saved my wife?" the man asked. "She eez zhe most precious zhing to me" he added seeing the young mans' reluctance to answer.

Harry was trying to think fast so that he would not have to reveal his name, not wanting word to get out of his deed. He could see the rest of the room were looking at him expectantly waiting for an answer. He was about to give an answer when he was distracted by a young blonde teen entering the room.

"Papa…" she froze when she saw the gathering of people in the room.

Her gaze eventually rested on Harry and she scowled gently clearly confused. She walked towards him slowly not taking her eyes off the young man who was now feeling uncomfortable. She drifted closer and looked him in the eyes, her own changing from a scowl to widening in recognition.

"'Arry?" she stuttered in shock and threw herself in to his arms.

"You know zhis man?" one of the women questioned the girl raising her eyebrows.

"Of course I know 'im" the girl replied as if it was the most obvious thing the world and composing herself. "'e pulled me from ze bottom of zhat lake at 'ogwarts, 'e ees 'Arry Potter" she said.

The rest of the people in the room looked at each other disbelievingly before one of the women addressed the young girl.

"Don't be seelly Gabrielle, 'Arry Potter ees just a leetle boy" she said confidently.

"Eet ees 'im" the girl replied heatedly. "I can feel eet, but 'e look different now and ees magic 'as changed" she said frowning again.

The group looked at Harry critically before the man asked.

"Are you really 'im?"

Harry sighed in resignation and nodded reluctantly knowing it was useless trying to hide who he was. The people gathered in the room gasped.

"Prove eet" one of the women demanded with a frown.

Harry sighed again and shook his head.

"If Gabrielle is your daughter that would make Fleur your daughter also, we competed against each other in the triwizard tournament last year with Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory" he said to the man.

Seeing that they weren't entirely convinced by he removed his wand and intoned. "I swear on my life and magic that I am Harry James Potter, the very same one who competed in the triwizard tournament at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry last academic year, so mote it be".

The golden glow that surrounded him sealed the vow and to prove that his magic was still intact he lit the end of his wand with a simple flick.

The people in the room were truly shocked. It took several moments to pass before any of them were able to talk and it was Mr Delacour who broke the silence.

"But you can be no more zhan fifteen years old" he stated dumbly. "And yet you best 8 fully grown weezards with ease" he added shaking his head.

Harry just shrugged at his observation and remained silent.

"'e deed what?" Gabrielle broke in shocked and a little angry.

Her father sighed and explained to his daughter what had happened. Upon hearing the explanation she shot Harry a look that he could not quite decipher and she left the room.

"Monsieur Potter" Mr Delacour began. "You 'ave saved both of my daughters and now my wife, zhere is nuzzing I could ever do to repay zhat debt" he mumbled shaking his head.

"There is no debt to repay sir" Harry said firmly. "Mostly I was in the right place at the right time" he explained.

The other man looked at Harry appraisingly before asking him.

"Ees eet true zhat 'e ees back?" he questioned seriously.

"Voldemort?" Harry asked causing those in the room to flinch and gasp.

"Oui" Mr Delacour replied.

"Yes he is back" Harry stated simply. "They were Death Eaters who attacked your wife and the rest of these ladies earlier" he explained to the man.

"Zhat explains much" the Frenchman mumbled angrily.

"It does?" Harry asked confused.

"Oui, eet does" the other man said. "Eet seems zhat zhey were goin to take my wife 'ostage so zhat zhey 'ad leverage to make sure we do not intervene" he added.

At the confused look Harry was giving him the man explained further.

"You see Meester Potter I am zhe 'ead of magical law enforcement in France and 'e must know zhat I would not risk my wife for anything. 'e must 'ave known zhat eef 'e 'ad my wife zhen I would stop zhe French from 'elping your country eef eet gets too much to 'andle" he concluded.

Harry nodded in agreement at his logic.

"Why are you 'ere Monsieur Potter" the man asked.

"I was looking for someone who was with the Death Eaters but he no doubt ran when he saw what I did to them" Harry replied bitterly.

"Sirius Black?" the man questioned. Seeing the look of confusion the young man had. "Oui, I know all about 'im, your story ees famous even 'ere" he pointed out.

Harry shook his head.

"Sirius is innocent I was looking for Peter Pettigrew, it was him that handed my parents over" Harry replied his temper rising, causing the women to shiver at the burst of magic he released unintentionally.

"Merde" Mr Delacour said. "Your government are good at messing zhings up, non?" he asked.

"You have no idea sir" Harry responded, shaking his head.

"Please Monsieur Potter call me Jean you 'ave earned zhat right" he said to the teen.

"Only if you call me Harry" the younger man replied.

"'Arry eet ees" Jean said with a chuckle.

Before the conversation could go any further Gabrielle returned with who Harry recognised as Fleur. The two teens were stood either side of their mother helping her in to the room. They placed her carefully on the couch next to Jean and Fleur immediately flung herself in to Harrys' arms.

"I am so glad zhat you are ok 'Arry" she cried into his chest. "And zhank you for saving Maman" she sobbed.

Harry just wrapped his arms around her and allowed the girl to cry. He wasn't particularly comfortable with the situation but knew there was little he could in the moment.

"It's ok Fleur" he said rubbing her back comfortingly. "She will be ok I promise, she just needs to rest" he finished knowingly.

The young woman eventually extracted herself from the young man and looked at him properly for the first time since she had entered the room.

"You are no longer a leetle boy" she said chuckling.

Harry joined in the laughter remembering the night his name had come out of the goblet and Fleur's preconceived impression of him.

"No not so much" he eventually replied.

Without warning she grabbed him and placed a gentle chaste kiss on his lips which he instinctively returned.

"Zhank you 'Arry" she said blushing after she had pulled away. "really Zhank you" she added again stood up.

"You're welcome Fleur" Harry replied giving her a smile.

The people gathered in the room were shocked at what the young woman had done and Jean, who had been conversing with his wife was the first to compose himself.

"You are a very curious young man 'Arry" he said shaking his head.

"Curious?" Harry asked with a frown knowing that curious was not usually a good thing.

"Yes very" Jean replied. "You are een a room with eleven veela and yet you are not affected, non?" he asked the teen.

To the surprise of those in the room Harry suddenly burst out laughing and it took him quite some time to pull himself together.

"I'm sorry" he said to everyone. "It's just that I am considered missing at home and one of the rumours printed in the paper is that I exhausted myself at a veela conclave and died or lost track of time, this just reminded me of that, that's all" he explained chuckling.

Jean shook his head and laughed also while the women had flushed red and looked a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry" Harry said sincerely to the women, "I did not mean to offend you".

"Non Meester Potter we are not offended" one of the women explained. "Any veela conclave would welcome a young man with your power and resistance to us" She elaborated in quite a seductive tone biting her lower lip at the thoughts she was having.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her but kept silent on the matter and turned to address Jean instead.

"In answer to your question, yes I am immune to the allure" he said to the man who nodded appreciatively.

"Zhen you are a very strong willed man" he replied simply. "I am ok with just my wife and daughters but 'ave to wear zhis when zhere are more around" he explained pulling a chain from beneath his shirt that was silver with a glowing purple pendant on it. "Eet is a charm created by zhe veela to help fight zhe allure" he said holding the chain so Harry could see.

Harry nodded at the man knowing that a charm like that would be very rare outside of a veela community.

"I think you need to put up more wards" Harry suddenly said realising that Riddle would not give up so easily if he really wanted to kidnap Jeans' wife.

"Zhat was what I was just discussing with Apolline" Jean replied. "Eet ees difficult as our magic ees different and most wards interfere with zhere magic" he said gesturing to the women.

"What about a Fidelius Charm?" Harry inquired.

Jean shook his head. "It would work but zhe property ees too big and I do not know anyone zhat can perform zhe charm" he said despondently.

"I can do it for you, if you trust me enough" Harry offered.

"Zhank you 'Arry but you have already done much for my family" Jean replied shaking his head. "I couldn't ask zhat of you".

"If it will keep you all safe then I honestly don't mind and it will save me worrying about you all when I leave" he said sincerely.

Jean shared a look with his wife and two daughters and nodded in resignation.

"Are you powerful enough?" he asked the young man.

Harry shrugged in reply. "I guess so" he answered.

"What is your most powerful spell you can control?" he asked further.

Harry was a little reluctant to answer but quickly remembered that most of the people had witnessed him kill 8 men this very evening.

"Fiendfyre" Harry said quietly causing all the women in the room to shudder which made Harry look at them in confusion.

"Eet ees zhe only fire zhat can 'urt us" Fleur explained.

"You 'ave complete control, oui?" Jean asked.

Harry nodded in reply.

"I would show you but your house would no longer be here in less than a few minutes".

The women shuddered again and Jean looked at him speculatively.

"What about a patronus?, Eet is a good indicator of the power and control of a weezard" he said knowingly.

Harry understood what the man was asking so he flicked his wand in to his hand and thought of the usual photo that he did when casting the spell. _"Expecto Patronum"_ he said quietly causing his Thestral to erupt from his wand in the usual blinding light.

The room was silent as they all looked upon the patronus that the young man had conjured. It was Gabrielle that approached the near solid beast and raised a hand to touch it.

"Eet ees beautiful" she whispered "I can feel eet, eet is so warm" she added, awestruck.

Harry flicked his wand and the creature disappeared causing the rest of them to snap out of the respective reveries.

"Well you are strong enough, if you are sure you can do it" Jean stated.

"Yes I can do it" Harry replied. "Who will be your secret keeper?" he asked.

"I will do it" Fleur insisted. "Your job ees risky Papa, eet should be me" she said to her father who looked as though he wanted to protest but nodded at her reasoning.

"Ok stand still" Harry said to the woman. "And the rest of you just be calm, you will feel confused but you have to be calm" he explained firmly.

With that he began chanting in Latin and waving his wand around Fleur in intricate patterns that the others could not follow. The women could all feel the power coming from the young man and shuddered again at it. After a short amount of time Fleur was enveloped in a bright blue glow and Harry could feel the drain on his magic. The occupants of the room stared around dumbly looking very lost.

"You have to write down the location of your house and show it to them" Harry instructed Fleur who complied by conjuring a quill, some ink and parchment. She wrote down the address of the house and passed it to her father who then read it and passed it around the room to the rest of the occupants. When it came to Harry he passed it to Jean without reading it.

"I know where the house is because I performed the charm, but I will forget it when I leave" he reassured the man.

"Non 'Arry" Jean replied. "You are always welcome 'ere" he said firmly handing the parchment back to Harry who read it and handed it back with a nod.

The group sat in silence for a while until Harry broke it.

"Ok I have to leave and go and break the bad news to a few people" he announced.

Jean stood and offered the young man his hand which Harry accepted and shook.

"Zhank you 'Arry for everyzhing" he said sincerely. "I cannot promise zhat my government will 'elp your country but I will come if you send me word and I will bring as much 'elp as I can when you need it, oui".

"Thank you Jean" Harry replied. "I may take you up on that offer, help is something I am short on at the moment and by the time the ministry pulls its head out of its arse it might be too late" he said with a sigh.

"You are a good man 'Arry Potter and don't worry I will have zhe mess you left out zhere cleaned up" he chuckled gesturing to the hill they had come down.

Apolline stood and took Harrys' face in her hands and gave him a kiss on the cheek that warmed it slightly.

"Zhank you Monsieur Potter, for everzhing" she said simply and sat back down, clearly still feeling the effects of the curse.

Gabrielle hugged him and placed a kiss on his other cheek and expressed the same sentiments as her mother.

"I will walk you out" Fleur said a little sadly and started to lead him to the door.

Harry turned to the group before leaving and addressed the rest of the women.

"It was nice meeting you ladies and I may just seek out your conclave one day" he said with a grin and a dramatic wink causing the women to turn red and blush uncontrollably.

Jean roared with laughter and Harry found himself being dragged from the room by the back of his sweater by an annoyed Fleur.

"Did you 'ave to say zhat?" she asked heatedly. "You will get zhem all excited" she moaned scowling at him.

Harry said nothing but laughed at the reaction he had gotten from everyone. He was glad they were parting on better terms than discussing the approaching war.

They soon reached the front door and Harry made to pass through but was stopped by Fleur who had grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Please be careful 'Arry" she pleaded with him and Harry could see she was close to crying again.

"I will try" he replied gently holding her by her shoulders and looking her in the eye.

She swallowed deeply, nodded at him and placed another gentle kiss on his lips.

"Write to me when you can" she said making it sound more of a question than a request.

"I promise" Harry replied and he returned her kiss before turning and walking away. He had a surly old git and a reprobate godfather to give some bad news to, something he was not looking forward to doing.

 **A/N**

 **Another long one and don't assume that the last part of this means that Harry is in a relationship with Fleur or that this is the guaranteed pairing because it is still not 100% decided but I am getting very close to making that decision. I apologise if anyone feels that I butchered the French accent, my French is much worse than Harrys' is in the story. I can reveal that Harry and Dumbledore will be meeting very soon as will Arcturus and Dumbledore. There are lots of twists and turns coming so prepare yourselves, it's going to be getting very bumpy from here on in. Please follow, favourite and review as usual guys.**

 **TBR**


	8. The Proving Ground

_This chapter is dedicated to all the men, women and children who lost their lives in The Great War of 1914-1918. Race, Religion and Creed hold no meaning on the battlefield and I both salute and thank you for your services to your countries. RIP and may we someday find the peace you sacrificed your lives for._

Chapter 8: The Proving Ground

Lord Voldemort was not a happy man, not a happy man at all. It had been a month since Peter had returned with the news of his failure and the fury within the Dark Lord had barely begun to subside. Of course, he had asked the rat to recount his tale several times and had even viewed the memory of the encounter with the mysterious French wizard but no positive result of his investigation into the man had yet been yielded.

Peter had been punished most harshly by the Dark Lord and it still brought the man much joy to see the limp the portly man now had in his step. The urge to curse him further still plagued him but he controlled himself knowing that the fool still had his uses.

He had sent Lucius to carry out the mission that Peter had failed at and was currently awaiting his return, he knew that holding the wife of the Head of the French DMLE could be a crucial advantage to himself in the future and would ensure that the French would not interfere even knowing that they would be next on the list once he finally brought Britain beneath his heel, something that he knew would not take much time after he came out in the open.

He had his subordinates of any use paving that way already. He had Lucius working behind the scenes on the political field, bribing and blackmailing where necessary to fulfil his needs there and several others working on various aspects of the magical world that could offer him difficulties if they were to remain unchecked and negated accordingly.

He had sent emissaries to the werewolves on the continent in the form of Fenrir Greyback and a few lower followers, knowing that the beasts would be very useful in a fight. All he needed to do was offer them the hope of a better life than they would ever be given under the current regime and their cooperation was assured.

He had already secured the services of the giants and when the time was right he would open negotiations with the vampires also, the one group that would be the most difficult to bring to aide in his cause.

He knew the Dementors' were a sure thing as they had been in the previous war and all he had to provide them was hunting grounds in which they could consume as many souls as they wished and no longer had to adhere to the will and whim of the ministry. It also helped him that they were currently the main source of security at Azkaban where his most loyal followers currently resided. They would be liberated soon enough, marking his first move out in to the open.

He was pulled from his musings by the arrival of both Lucius and Severus, the former looking very nervous indeed. Lord Voldemort knew he had not brought welcome news.

"Come Lucius" he began. "Explain to me why the wife of Monsieur Delacour is not in your company" he demanded in what appeared to be a casual tone.

Lucius knew that the casual tone the Dark Lord used was masking an undercurrent of anger at his failings. As was his custom when he found himself in such a situation he fell to his knees and prostrated himself to his master.

"My lord, I arrived at the location you gave me and the house simply wasn't there" he informed him as composed as he could, but the fear was evident in his voice.

The Dark Lord pondered the information he had been given. He knew Lucius was not stupid enough to go to the wrong location. Despite his snivelling and cowardice in the face of his Lords wrath he was a man of real intelligence and cunning. There was only one possible reason behind the house being missing; The Fidelius charm. But the property in question was very large indeed and Lord Voldemort knew that to be able perform the charm was a feat in itself, but to perform it on such a large area was not possible for someone unless they were considerably more accomplished and powerful than the average wizard. The mysterious French wizard, perhaps? That was the only conclusion that was at all fathomable to the Dark Lord and he growled at the realisation.

"Rise Lucius" he instructed the man. "Fear not, I do not hold you responsible for this failure it is the fault of the idiot Peter. Had he been successful in his attempt we would not find ourselves in this quandary" he surmised.

"Thank you My Lord" Lucius replied clearly relieved at the mercy he was being shown. "If there is anything I can do to rectify this error then it shall be done" he finished confidently.

An idea suddenly struck the Dark Lord and he knew the two men in the room were among his most capable followers.

"There is something that the both of you can do" he mused aloud.

Both men shared a look knowing that if they were both asked to complete something then it was of the most paramount importance.

"Of course, My Lord" they replied as one.

"The reason that Peter truly failed has not been shared with any but myself" he explained.

Both men exchanged another look. They had both been wondering as to why Peter had failed but none had been informed as to why. They had just assumed it was the fact that Peter was useless at most things and he had simply failed at the given task due to his incompetence.

"I have a memory I wish you both to view and I would like your honest opinions on it" he commanded firmly, wandlessly summoning a pensieve with the silvery substance already swirling within the bowl.

At the Dark Lords' gesture both men entered the pensieve not knowing what to expect from the memory they were about to see.

They found themselves in a fairly thin expanse of trees, clearly close to the edge of the wooded area as they thickened considerably behind them. It was Snape that spotted the rat with its tell-tale silver paw and pointed it out to Lucius.

"I assume we follow the rat" he drawled lazily to his companion who nodded in agreement.

They followed Peter a short distance until they came to the edge of the trees and they immediately saw what they were intended to.

They saw one of the Death Eaters torturing one of the group of Veela they had had just captured, clearly taunting her and her friends. It was what they saw next that both confused and shocked them.

Out of nowhere the Death Eater in question and the man to his right were violently felled with arrows. Both men scanned the area looking for the source of the intervention and quickly spotted a young man with a grey hooded sweater and jeans approaching the group. His face could not be seen as Peter had clearly not gotten a good look at the individual. The only sounds that could be heard were the screaming of their fellow Death Eaters as they were torn apart without prejudice.

Both men paled at what they saw and could only compare it to that of which their master was capable of. This young man was clearly very powerful and a very formidable wizard. They watched as he seemed to have freed one of the men who walked towards them looking extremely relieved but very gaunt. The man collapsed around five feet in front of them and they were pulled from the memory.

Lord Voldemort watched as his subordinates emerged from the pensieve looking quite green at what they had witnessed, Lucius even had a nervous sweat which amused the Dark Lord slightly.

"What do you think?" he asked the pair who glanced at each other, willing the other to answer first.

"He is clearly capable and quite ruthless" Snape finally surmised as neutrally as possible.

"That he is" the Dark Lord agreed. "Lucius, what say you?" he questioned the other man who was looking quite sick.

"I agree with Severus" he began hesitantly. "But who is he?" he asked hoping that his question would allow him some time to compose himself.

"Something I wish for you to find out, though he killed my men he could be a possible ally, it may be that he was hired to protect the veela or that he is one of their lovers and was simply protecting what was his" he mused, frowning in thought. "It is unlikely that a man wielding such magic and power would place himself under a light banner particularly with the way they would view the magic he used" he concluded thoughtfully.

"Where would you have us start My Lord?" Snape asked, now wishing he had not been present for this meeting.

"A man of such power is very much a rarity and should not be difficult to locate" the Dark Lord explained. "Lucius, I want you to make discreet enquiries with the French ministry and try to discover who, if anyone wields that kind of power under their employ" he instructed the blonde. "And Severus" he began turning to the potions master. "I want you to use the connection Hogwarts has with Beauxbatons to see if any student has graduated from there in the last 10 years that could have been capable of what we have seen, you know what to look for" he finished.

"Yes my Lord" both men replied in unison and left to begin their tasks.

The Dark Lord turned to his ever-present familiar and stroked her head fondly after they had departed.

" _A wizard of such talent could be a very powerful ally indeed Nagini"_ he hissed. "Or he could be a real thorn in my side if he intends to oppose me" he added after a moment's thought.

 _(BREAK)_

Things had been relatively quiet for Harry since he returned from France. Both Arcturus and Sirius had taken the news of his failure well after he had explained exactly what had happened and agreed that he had done the right thing by intervening when he did.

Arcturus was content with the way he had dispatched of the Death Eaters and Sirius had largely been left out of the loop in that regard, with Harry not wanting to have his godfather worry any more than he already did about the teen. The older Black had commended Harry on gaining such an important ally and deemed the mission to be not a total loss.

Christmas had been a quiet affair for both of the occupants of the house. They had exchanged gifts both equally happy with what the other had given them.

Harry had given Arcturus an enlarged photo of his grandparents wedding day in which the happy couple and Arcturus along with his wife were clearly happy. The older man had even managed a rare smile at the gift he had received from the younger man.

Harry was very grateful for the gift Arcturus had given him. He had given him several memories of both of his grandparents including their wedding day, something that was priceless to the last Potter.

From Sirius Harry had received various photos of his parents' school days and beyond including more wedding photos and one of a very happy Sirius holding baby Harry that he placed with the one of his grandparents on the bedside table. He had given the marauder a couple of wand holsters that were similar to his own and a duplicate of the book of his Grandfathers training regime.

He had not bought gifts for any others just in case any owls he sent had been intercepted but he did get a surprise from his friends in the post; a large package of sweets delivered by none other than Hedwig herself, who was clearly elated to see her owner again and had refused to leave his shoulder for several hours after chiding him for his negligence towards her.

The downside to his return was the news that Arthur Weasley had been attacked guarding whatever it was the order was keeping watch over in the department of mysteries. Fortunately for the redhead, one of the portraits in the corridor was a former headmaster at Hogwarts and had witnessed the attack and was able to inform Dumbledore in the nick of time, saving the life of the man.

It was then that Harry knew he would have to meet with the headmaster to instruct him to call off the guard; whatever was in there could not be important enough to risk lives over.

A conversation with the man was inevitable and although the time had come sooner than Harry would have liked he knew he had to bring Dumbledore in to the fold in some way knowing it was better they worked together cohesively than have any recurring unpleasant happenings.

This was what Harry was now preparing for. He had purposely waited until term had started as not to put his friends in a precarious position, knowing that the new defence professor was a ministry worker and had been making not so discreet enquiries about him.

Arcturus would not be attending the meeting. He had stated that it was not prudent for him to come out in the open yet and had instructed Harry to keep his involvement to himself and had even had him swear a vow to ensure the information was safe.

Harry agreed with the older man and was grateful that he was being trusted to handle the headmaster on his own. He knew Arcturus was less than fond of Dumbledore and any meeting they would have in the future was likely to be very unpleasant. He in fact knew it would be as it seemed to be one of Arcturus' favourite pass-times; to often criticise 'the old coot' and insult him in any way he could vocalise.

Harry knew a meeting of the order of the phoenix was taking place this evening and was waiting for Sirius to send Dobby when it would be a good time for Harry to go. Both he and Arcturus had convinced him that he should meet with the rest of the order also so they could at least be assured that he was in fact alive.

Sirius wanted him to attend to get to know the people he may come across to some extent, more so that he did not curse them inadvertently when he did by accident. Arcturus wanted him to go so he could gage possible allies and how useful they may or may not be; he wanted to know if any of them were reliable or were, as he suspected and described; 'a bunch of blithering piss ants like the so called leader of the light'.

It was then that a small pop was heard and a house elf appeared in the room, but it was not Dobby as Harry had been expecting but Elgar.

The elf bowed to Harry as he always did before speaking.

"The Lord Black wishes to see young master before he leaves" the elf declared before popping away.

Harry made his way to the drawing room where he knew Arcturus would be.

Upon entering he could see that the older man was waiting for him and he indicated the teen to take the seat opposite.

"We need to discuss tonight" he said simply.

Harry was unsure on what needed to be discussed in particular but nodded anyway knowing the older man would have his reasons.

"This is the first time you will be meeting these people" Arcturus continued after he had gotten the nod from Harry. "It is imperative that you conduct yourself accordingly, they must respect you if you do not want them to try and treat you as a child the way that I expect they will. You must take control of the situation and give no quarter. Do not allow any of them to talk out of turn nor attempt to control you in any way. You must not show them any weakness Potter, do you understand?" he asked quietly but firmly, giving the teen a critical stare.

"Yes sir" Harry replied resolutely.

"Good" the older man intoned. "Remember why you are doing this and remember that you are more able than all of them; do not hesitate to make sure they know it too if the need arises" he finished.

"Yes sir" Harry responded once again, knowing the older man was not looking for anything further.

It was just as Harry had intended to do by all means.

He knew that Molly Weasley in particular would try to mother him and if Snape was present, he would try to belittle him. He had already surmised that he would have to be firm and not allow any form of liberty to be taken with him tonight.

"Is that all sir?" Harry asked respectfully.

"Not quite" Arcturus responded. "We will be going to the ministry tomorrow to begin your OWL examinations; it seems the time is as good as any now as the rat is clearly in hiding. I have already contacted the appropriate parties but have not revealed who either of us are. I will of course be in disguise and will pose as your tutor. Madame Marchbanks has already consented to an oath of silence and she will be the only one aware of your identity throughout the process. We will simply change the colour of your hair and eyes, that should be sufficient to ensure that you are not recognised" he explained.

"Yes sir" Harry replied, suddenly feeling nervous.

Arcturus saw this and shook his head.

"You are far beyond both OWL and NEWT level work Potter so it will be a breeze for you" he pointed out knowingly. "However if you do not perform sufficiently I will be most displeased with you" he added with a hint of a threatening tone.

"I won't let you down sir" Harry vowed, not liking the look he was receiving from the older man.

"It won't be me you let down Potter, only yourself" Arcturus replied with a shrug. "It won't be my future you're pissing away" he added. "Use it as an opportunity to really show what you can do and leave the examiners with no doubts to your abilities, yes?" he asked.

Harry had already planned on it, he saw no reason to hold back whatsoever in the exams and truly wanted his achievements to reflect those of his family before him.

Harry was about to respond but before he could a quiet pop announced the arrival of Dobby who was wearing a white shirt and tight leather trousers.

"Harry Potter's Paddy says that Professor Whiskers and his band of merry men has arrived Harry Potter sir" the elf informed him before disappearing with a pop.

Arcturus shook his head at the elf.

"Where the hell does that elf get its clothes from?" he asked exasperatedly.

"I daren't ask" Harry answeed shaking his head amusedly.

"Well it's not becoming of an elf to dress in such a way" the older man informed Harry, clearly bothered by Dobbys' demeanour.

"What can I say, he's eccentric" Harry said with a shrug.

"I hate eccentrics" Arcturus mumbled grumpily. "He's not inclined towards other male elves is he?" he asked.

"I have no idea" Harry responded not wanting to dwell on the sexuality of his friend.

"Well there's something not right with that one, what kind of self-respecting male wears leather trousers?" he questioned.

"Sirius does" Harry replied. "Apparently it's quite fashionable".

"Say no more" Arcturus grumbled rubbing his temples in frustration. "But if you parade around here dressed in them I will curse you out of them, understand?" he asked sternly pointing at the young man.

"And you are one to ask about the elf's sexuality" Harry replied cheekily shaking his head in mock disgust.

Before Arcturus could reply Harry had disapparated.

"Fucking Potters" he growled. "All the same they are, I'll show him" he added pounding his fist on the table.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was sat at the kitchen at number 12 Grimmauld Place surrounded by all members of the order of the phoenix minus Remus, who was on the continent still. Severus was the final member to arrive looking his usual impassive self but the headmaster could see a hint of concern in the mans' eyes. Knowing that all were present he began the meeting.

"Is there any new business?" he asked the gathered members expectantly.

"The minister is still blocking anyone from talking to the press" Kingsley began. "Lucius Malfoy has not been seen in the ministry as much but his owl is always delivering notes to Fudges' office so he is clearly still in his pocket" he finished his explanation.

"Yes you are referring of course to the unpleasantness that has started to plague the community" Dumbledore sighed with a frown, more to himself than the group. "Clearly Mr Malfoy has business elsewhere" he added stroking his beard.

"I believe I can shed some light on that headmaster" Snape intoned in his usual drone.

"Please do Severus my boy" Dumbledore responded with a gentle twinkle.

"The Dark Lord has expressed a wish to have the wife of the French Head of the DMLE kidnapped and held under his care to prevent any possible interference on their part" he explained.

This caused a murmuring to begin at the table knowing that if this was to come to pass then it would not be good for them and could even make a fresh enemy in the French government.

At hearing this Sirius was paying full attention to the man he would usually ignore entirely, not trusting him an ounce.

"He sent Pettigrew and a group of 8 to accomplish this task initially" he continued. "But of course, being incompetent he failed" Snape informed them, much to the relief of those in the room.

"That is a relief" Dumbledore agreed with the sentiment of the room.

"Yes but it is not his failure that is the problem it is the reason he failed" Snape continued further.

The occupants at the table looked confused. They could all see the usually unflappable potions master was a little concerned now and it did not sit well with them.

"What caused him to fail Severus?" Minerva asked.

"An unknown wizard intervened during the kidnap attempt" Snape drawled enjoying the tension he had created.

"And?" Minerva questioned impatiently.

"He laid waste to every last Death Eater minus Pettigrew, who escaped" he spoke gravely, without any trace of amusement.

"He killed them all?" Kingsley asked in disbelief.

"Yes" Snape answered irritably. "In a very violent manner and without hesitation. The Dark Lord has tasked Lucius and I to locate this man and see if he is a possible ally. The reason Lucius has been absent is because he was sent to retrieve the woman but it seems that someone has managed to place the property under the Fidelius Charm" he finished.

"What do you mean violent manner?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.

"Dark and very destructive magic" Snape answered seriously.

Dumbledore sat and pondered the answer he had been given by his spy. If Severus saw the magic as dark and destructive then it must have been just that.

"Those Death Eaters must have been green to be taken out by one man" Kingsley cut in, clearly having been thinking about it.

"They weren't the best the Dark Lord has to offer but they were not slouches either. I saw the memory of what this man did to them and they fought back very well but they were no match for him. From what I saw he would not struggle to destroy any of you at this table and the Dark Lord was clearly impressed with him, something that is not easy to achieve" he explained with annoyance to the auror.

"Do you think he may be a rival Dark Lord?" Molly Weasley asked worriedly.

"Possibly" Snape drawled clearly thinking on what the red headed woman had asked.

Sirius was half amused by the discussion at the table and half angry at his godson for withholding so much from him; he would be having words with Harry Potter when he got here.

Right on cue the kitchen door opened and a tall, muscular young man wearing a fitted white t-shirt and beige combat trousers entered the room. His hair was cut short and he had well groomed stubble adorning his face that was quite regal; he looked like he was related to Sirius in some way.

Upon the mans' entry Kingsley had shot to his feet and pointed his wand at the visitor as the others simply stared open-mouthed at him.

"Who the hell are you?" he questioned dangerously.

The young man turned to stare at him unwaveringly even when he noticed the wand of an auror was pointed at him. Instead his green eyes came alive with an inferno that exuded power and Kingsley felt himself falter at the display.

In a blink of an eye the man had removed his wand and disarmed the auror with ease. He stood pointing a strange black and white wand of his own at Kingsley, who gulped at the position he found himself in.

"That was not a polite way to introduce yourself" the arrival stated with a raised eyebrow and tossed the wand back to the stunned older man.

Sirius started to snicker at what had just transpired and Dumbledore sat in his chair with his eyes twinkling like they hadn't done in months.

It was Minerva who first recognised the young man in front of them from the rest of the group.

"Potter?" She asked hesitantly clearly not believing this could be the same boy she had been teaching for the last four years.

Harry turned and offered his head of house a genuine smile.

"It is good to see you professor" he said truthfully.

The transfiguration professor returned his smile in a rare show of emotion from her but before anything else could be said Molly Weasley spoke up.

"Harry" She shouted charging towards the young man who stopped her in her tracks. He held by the shoulders and looked at her speculatively before placing a kiss on her cheek and bringing the woman in to a gentle embrace.

"It's good to see you too Mrs Weasley" he whispered . "I'm sorry what happened to Arthur, I hope he is ok" he added in a questioning tone.

"Arthur will be fine Harry, he is at home resting right now" She replied clearly happy to see the young man looking so well. "You have grown" she added looking at the teen critically trying to find something in which she could chide him about.

"That does usually happen at my age Mrs Weasley" Harry pointed out with a smirk to which the woman playfully hit him on the shoulder.

Harry scanned the room to look at the rest of the occupants. He had to admit that not many looked like they would be much use in a fight but he was sure they had their reasons for being here and he would not judge them based on their appearances.

He paused when he spotted Tonks with her pink hair and could not resist the temptation to embarrass the young auror.

"Ahh Miss Tonks" he began with a bow. "I'm glad to see you are wearing your hair my favourite way to see it, did Sirius tell you I was coming so you could go to the effort for me? He asked with a wink.

Sirius began snickering again and Tonks turned her usual shade of red when Harry spoke to her like that. She scowled at her cousin before answering the question.

"No Potter, Sirius did not tell me you would be here" She replied still scowling at the marauder.

"And there was me thinking you wanted to share another intimate moment with me" Harry responded shaking his head in mock disappointment causing the young woman to redden even more and Sirius to roar in laughter. "And I do believe I told you I wished to be addressed by my first name at our last encounter, I thought we had gotten over this" he added.

"And what is this" Mrs Weasley cut in with her hands on her hips. "You are much too old and experienced for Harry" she said flatly to the metamorph who began stuttering incoherently at the woman.

"It is ok Mrs Weasley" Harry placated, coming to Tonks rescue. "I was talking about us duelling, that is all" he explained to the irate red head. "However" he added looking quite mischievous. "If you knew what I had been up to I'm sure you would believe that I was too experienced for Miss Tonks here" he concluded with mirth evident in his eyes.

"And what have you been up to young man?" she asked, turning her ire on to Harry.

"Well" he mused. "Most recently I spent time with a group of 11 veela on the continent, it does appear there is some truth to the rumours of my whereabouts" he added, scratching his chin.

"You did what?" the red head screeched flushing in both anger and embarrassment.

Snape suddenly stood in realisation.

"It was you" he said disbelievingly pointing a slightly shaking hand at Harry. "You killed those men" he elaborated in an accusing tone.

Harry turned to look at the potions master, every indication of joviality was now absent from his expression which was now entirely impassive with a slight coldness that was immediately reflected in the temperature of the room.

"And what if I did Snape?" Harry questioned dangerously. "Some of your friends were they?" he asked neutrally.

Snape was taken aback at the confidence and lack of remorse Potter was displaying. He was use to the young man being compliant and a tad rebellious at best.

"Killed?" Molly questioned looking at Harry with concern. "Harry is not a killer" she deinied firmly shaking her head.

"This is a war Mrs Weasley" Harry retorted. "Sacrifices have to be made" he said sternly.

"You are a fifteen year old boy" she responded heatedly. "You are a child, it is not your responsibility" she finished.

"My childhood never began" Harry hissed angrily in response, his magic starting to leak from him in his rage.

Molly shuddered at the anger she could feel from the young man and turned to Albus who was looking quite upset.

"Surely you don't agree with him Albus" she stated.

"On the contrary Molly, I agree with him entirely" the headmaster sighed sadly.

The occupants of the room all shared looks of shock at the headmasters proclamation.

"Now if you will excuse us, I believe myself and Harry have much to discuss" he explained standing. "I am sure if you wait for us then Harry will be happy to introduce himself properly when our business is concluded" he added giving Harry a look who nodded in response.

Harry made to leave but turned back to the occupants of the room who were all lost in their own thoughts.

"Auror Moody?" he questioned the grizzled man. "I will have a vow of silence from Snape before I leave, can I trust you to ensure he remains here?" he asked.

"Aye lad" Moody replied with a nod. "He won't be going anywhere" he promised, giving Snape a glare.

Harry nodded and followed Dumbledore from the kitchen up to the drawing room.

Both men entered and took a seat; it was Dumbledore that broke the silence that had befallen between them.

"It is good to see you in such good health my boy" he began. "My apologies Harry" he added, "I refer to you as a boy and yet you sit before me nothing short of being a man, something I fear I have helped very little in" he sighed apologetically.

"It is good to see you too professor" Harry replied, "And I am very sorry about Hagrid, I know you were very close and he always spoke highly of you" he said genuinely.

"Yes it is most unfortunate that he met his end in such a way" the old man responded sadly, looking every year of his ample age.

"You have no reason to apologise to me Professor" Harry spoke after a moment. "More than ever I understand the need to make difficult choices" he added knowingly.

"I am glad you see it that way Harry, but I must explain my reasoning so you can understand my decisions fully" the old man requested.

Harry nodded at the headmaster, allowing him to continue.

"The night in which Tom came to Godric's Hollow was one of the most difficult of my life" he began with a sigh. "Thinking that Sirius was the secret keeper left me in a very delicate situation" he continued. "I simply did not know who I could trust and after considering my options it seemed that your mothers' sister was the best option, something I can see I was severely mistaken about" he said sorrowfully looking Harry in the eye.

"Sir, who performed the Fidelius Charm on my parents' home?" Harry asked curiously.

"I believe that it was your grandfather, there are very few capable of casting the charm and he was the only other besides me and Tom of course, who would have been capable. I did offer but your father ensured me it was taken care of" he explained.

Harry nodded and accepted what he had been told without question knowing that it was likely to be the truth.

"I know now that your childhood was most unpleasant Harry, and for that I can only apologise for my part in it" Dumbledore continued hanging his head in shame.

"You weren't to know it would be that bad" Harry understood. "And as you said yourself, you couldn't be sure who you could trust" he added with a shrug.

"Thank you for being so understanding Harry, but it is something I cannot forgive myself for" he responded sadly shaking his head. "It is one of those difficult choices I spoke of that I had to make" he added.

The two remained silent for a moment lost in their thoughts. It was Dumbledore who once again broke the silence.

"After seeing how close you had become to young Mr Weasley and young Miss Granger in your first year I had intended on making inquiries to see if you could be placed with them during the summer holidays at one of their homes" Dumbledore admitted to surprise of Harry. "But Tom resurfaced and I knew it would not be wise; the wards around your Aunts home would be required again" he finished sadly.

Harry nodded at his reasoning. He would not have wanted either the Weasleys' or Grangers to be in any danger because of him.

"Then we had the unfortunate events of your second year and when you handed me Tom Riddles' diary, I knew it had to be investigated further" he continued. "Just a few short weeks later Sirius escaped from Azkaban and I knew you were still safest behind the wards. After the incident with you aunt I was content to allow you to be in Diagon Alley, I thought some exposure to wizarding world would be good for you and start to prepare you for your adult life here and knew it would be unlikely that Sirius would try to approach you while you were there" he explained quickly, clearly not comfortable discussing what he saw as his failures.

"I had planned on working with you in your fourth year in some way, but with your name coming out of the goblet, I knew it would not be possible" he continued when he saw that Harry would not be speak. "And now we find ourselves here" he concluded.

Harry thought about what the old man had been saying and found that he held nothing against the headmaster. He knew had he been in the same position he would have done what he saw fit also and believed that the professor had done just that.

"It is in the past now professor, none of it really matters now" Harry said attempting to assure the man he had no ill feelings towards him.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and then suddenly looked reproachful again.

"If only that was all the guilt I carry" he sighed, downtrodden and shaking his head once again.

Harry looked at the professor with a raised eyebrow and waited for him to proceed.

"Before you were born a prophecy was made" Dumbledore revealed sadly, his voice laced with guilt.

"Is this what your people are guarding in the department of mysteries?" Harry questioned.

Dumbledore was shocked by the observation but didn't question how Harry knew. He assumed that whoever Harry had been staying with had significant connections.

"Yes" he replied sadly his eyes losing the last hint of twinkle they had.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It has something to do with me and Voldemort, doesn't it?" he asked.

"It does" Dumbledore confirmed looking sadder by the minute.

"Does it specifically say who will win in a fight between us?" Harry asked further.

"No it does not" Dumbledore replied looking confused.

"Then it doesn't matter what it says" Harry dismissed.

"You don't want to know" the old man asked incredulously.

"No" Harry said firmly shaking his head. "I don't like the idea that I am on some predestined path. Either way me and Tom will meet because I want him dead just as much as he does me. I am at an advantage right now because he believes he has succeeded and has given me time to prepare" Harry explained. "A prophecy means nothing to me professor because one way or the other it will be me or him, I refuse for it to be any other way, so I would suggest you advise your people not to engage him, he is mine" Harry warned resolutely.

It was seldom that Dumbledore was truly surprised anymore, but Harry had managed it. He nodded at what the young man had said knowing it would inevitably be the way he described.

"I will call off the guard as you wish Harry, but I would recommend that the prophecy not be left in its current location" Dumbledore suggested.

"Am I right to assume then that only Tom and I can take it?" Harry asked knowing that Dumbledore would have moved it if he could have.

"Indeed" Dumbledore affirmed with a nod.

"Then I can use that to my advantage when the time is right" Harry intoned thoughtfully.

"How so?" the old man asked curiously.

"Well I assume that Tom is not going to walk in to the ministry to get it himself" Harry began.

"That is a safe assumption" Dumbledore mused, stroking his chin.

"Then he will need me to collect it and then he will have me ambushed" Harry continued.

"That would be his plan I imagine" Dumbledore agreed.

"Then I shall leave it there and bring him out in the open when the need arises, but that means I will have to reveal myself to him, which I am not ready to do yet, so it will have to sit for some time" he explained.

Dumbledore did not like the idea at all, especially because of his knowledge about the horcruxes.

"I do not think that is wise Harry" he advised.

Harry held up his hands to placate the man.

"Professor, I will only do it if necessary before I know I can finish him" he said coyly, tapping where his scar used to be.

Dumbledore was again shocked at the insinuation the young man was making. Did he know? If he did then he was much more prepared than the headmaster had thought.

"You know?" the old man asked in an uncharacteristic dumbfounded way.

"There are things I cannot talk about as yet professor" Harry responded. "But if you were to run a scan on me I'm sure you would find no remainder of Tom Riddle there" he offered confidently.

Dumbledore was still confused but hoped Harry would tell him or ask for help if he needed it.

"May I?" he asked withdrawing his wand.

At Harrys' nod he ran the diagnostic charms and was very surprised by the readings. He was overjoyed for the young man and had to swallow back some of the emotion he was feeling at his relief.

"It appears you are right" he confirmed with his eyes twinkling once again. "You have gone though some very drastic changes I must say" he concluded.

"All necessary sir" Harry replied a little sadly.

"Alas, yes" Dumbledore concurred. "I would like to offer you my assistance though Harry" he continued seriously. "If there is anything I can do to help you then I shall" he explained meaningfully.

"Thank you sir" Harry respondedwith a smile. "For now just keep doing what you are and when I need you I will call on you" he promised.

Dumbledore returned the smile gratefully. He had expected this conversation to be much more difficult than it had been. He had expected Harry to be furious with him and maybe even curse him, something he would not like to face with the Harry in front of him.

"There is one thing that is bothering me professor" Harry exclaimed with a slight frown.

"What is that Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"You seem to accept that I have killed men and will kill more quite readily" Harry answered, wanting to understand the blasé view the headmaster seemed to have on him taking lives.

Dumbledore sighed at the question before he answered.

"It is one of the unfortunate necessities of war Harry" he said tiredly. "Contrary to popular belief I do not believe that redemption is attainable for everyone" he continued. "I do not condone killing in any way but alas, I know for you and many other good men, women and children to survive then it has to be done" he said sadly.

"I don't enjoy it sir" Harry responded. "You said in my second year that I and Riddle were similar, but I don't enjoy killing the way he does" he added shaking his head.

"I am glad to hear it" the old man replied looking relieved. "It is unfortunate that you find yourself in this position Harry, one that I once found myself in" he continued with another sigh.

"You and Grindelwald" Harry stated.

"Yes, Gellert and myself" he said with sadness. "You see Harry I am not like you" he elaborated. "I am not a born fighter. My talents lie within Transfiguration and Alchemy, yes I excelled in all my subjects but I am not a warrior, I do not have the mentality for it" he added.

"When Gellert became the treat that he did the wizarding world looked to me to solve the problem because I was well known for my power and prowess with a wand, but I was not known for my fighting ability. It was with deep reluctance that I confronted Gellert that day and not a day goes by that I do not regret it" he admitted. "You see Harry there was a time that Gellert and I were friends, we were young and foolishly idealistic, something I grew out of and something he did not" he continued.

Harry was surprised by the admission but did not interrupt the man, keen to hear what he was saying.

"I never intended to kill him and it was an unfortunate accident on my part that caused his death. In the heat of the moment I raised a deflection shield and the curse struck and killed him" he continued again shaking his head and looking sad. "I had hoped that I could negotiate with him and at worst, apprehend him and bring an end to his tyranny that way, again a mistake on my part. Gellert had no intention of listening to me or being stopped and events unfolded the way they did" he finished with clear remorse.

"But it all worked out for the best in the end" Harry pointed out.

"For the wizarding world, yes, but for me it did not" Dumbledore retorted with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I have to live with the guilt of taking a life, a life of a man who was once a friend Harry and that is something I am not equipped to do" he explained. "What have you observed about the people of the wizarding world Harry?" he asked unexpectedly.

In truth Harry had not spent much time in the wizarding world aside from his time at Hogwarts and with Arcturus so he was stumped by the question.

"I know it can be very fickle" he replied remembering all the times people had turned their backs on him.

Dumbledore nodded. "That is one part of it" he agreed. "Let me explain a few things to you" he continued thoughtfully.

Harry watched as Dumbledore was clearly thinking of the best way to explain his thoughts.

"The wizarding world consists mainly of people who are spectators, there a very few men of action" he began. "I never wanted the titles that I have, I simply wanted to teach and have a peaceful life amongst my books and my further studies" he explained further. "After that fateful day with Gellert, that was not to be" he elaborated sadly. "The wizarding world put me on a pedestal and hailed me as a hero. Since that day they have looked to me to solve their problems for them and whenever I couldn't they became spiteful towards me as you can see from the articles in the prophet these past months" he pointed out as an example. "They need their hero Harry, they do not function without someone to take to the helm and guide them. We live amongst sheep with very few shepherds to guide the flock, you understand?" he asked.

At Harrys' nod he continued.

"That has been my life Harry, guiding them and allowing them to watch me carry the burdens on their behalf and I fear that it will be you in that position once you have dealt with Tom" he said shaking his head. "I deluded myself into believing that if I turned down the position of minister then I was only offering my aide but as you can see, the type of people who become minister are not fit for the position and I have always been sought out by whoever was in office to help them far beyond that of an advisory role" he said sounding a little bitter again. "You've seen for yourself that I am not infallible Harry and the mistakes I make may be far fewer than the average person but they are undoubtedly much more severe. I am telling you this so you can be prepared for what is waiting for you" he concluded.

Harry listened to what the old man said and had no reason to doubt him at all. He was at first by the bitter tone of the headmasters' voice but found he felt quite sorry for the man. Harry had always wondered how he had ended up in the position he was and always assumed he had sought out the power and chided himself for how wrong he had been in his assumptions.

"My entire point was" Dumbledore cut in to Harrys' thoughts, "that I was pressured to act and the pressure led to the position I find myself in now and if that is not what you want then you need to not allow yourself to be pressured and be stronger than I ever have been" he explained to the young man.

Harry stood and put a reassuring hand on the old mans' shoulder.

"I think the fact that you have continued despite the way you feel makes you much stronger than you give yourself credit for professor" Harry said. "You are only human after all and I myself am guilty of putting you on that pedestal" he admitted.

"Thank you Harry" Dumbledore replied with genuine gratitude. "Seeing the man you have become really makes it feel worth it" he replied tiredly but with a smile.

Harry nodded at the headmaster.

"You do leave behind quite the legacy though sir and you should be very proud of your achievements" he suggested. "There are not many wizards like yourself and I respect you now more than I ever have for your honesty and continual perseverance" he continued bowing his head in respect.

The headmaster was back to full twinkle again and Harry suspected that some of the twinkle he was seeing was in fact emotion the older man could not conceal.

"That means more to me than any award I have been given" he replied genuinely. "I had planned on enquiring where it was you had been staying but seeing the man you are becoming has made me reconsider that knowing it is clearly the best place for you, but please remember there is always a place here for you, especially after you placed those wards around your relatives" he said amusedly.

"Thank you sir" Harry replied. "It is the best place for me and I am as safe as I ever have been" he explained putting the headmaster at ease. "I do believe there are a few people waiting to talk to me though" harry added.

"You are right Harry" Dumbledore replied, "we should not keep them waiting any longer" he concluded.

Harry turned to leave them but felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the headmaster looking at him appraisingly.

"Thank you Harry, for bringing a much needed smile to an old man" he said gratefully.

"I only gave you the truth sir, the smile is because you allowed it" Harry replied with a grin which caused the old man to chuckle.

"Then never stop pointing out the truth Harry" he advised happily with another chuckle.

The duo made their way back to the kitchen which was still full of people clearly waiting for the conclusion of their discussion. Harry took a seat next to Sirius who gave him a nod and Dumbledore resumed his place at the head of the table.

"Did you discuss what you needed to?" Minerva asked Dumbledore after he was seated.

"We did indeed and now we have a few things to discuss" he replied seriously. "Firstly, there will be no more need for guard duty" he began to the confusion of those assembled.

"But you said it was the most important thing we could do" Kingsley cut in.

"I did" Dumbledore agreed raising his hands to placate the group. "But after discussing it with Harry that is no longer the case as he is taking responsibility for the item in question" he explained.

"And we can trust him to take care of it?" Snape asked disbelievingly.

"Harry has a plan and though I am not a fan of it, I trust him implicitly" he answered the potions master who simply sneered.

"Are you going to tell us what the item is now?" Tonks asked the headmaster, shooting a glance at Harry who looked at Dumbledore and nodded his approval.

"I will explain what it is as Harry has given me permission but there is something I must ask of all of you first" he spoke firmly.

"And that would be?" Minerva asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dumbledore sighed.

"On behalf of Harry I must ask that none of you attempt to engage the Dark Lord" he instructed the group to which some looked relieved and others mutinous.

"So Potter wants all the glory" Snape sneered.

"No Snape, it is not about glory" Harry replied before Dumbledore could. "It is about vengeance" he added coldly. "That bastard will fall to my wand" he finished in a no nonsense tone.

"You can't be serious" Minerva cut in. "Albus you can't allow him to face that monster" she pleaded.

"I'm afraid it is out of my hands" Dumbledore replied sadly.

"And I'm sure Snape here has told you exactly about the monster I have become, haven't you Snape?" Harry asked the man scathingly.

"Severus has not said a word since you left" Molly explained.

"Ahh well that makes a change, it's not like Snape to miss an opportunity to belittle me. What's wrong Snape? Left your balls in your masters' handbag" Harry asked sarcastically causing Sirius to laugh with glee.

"Harry" Dumbledore warned firmly. "It is out of my hands because of the item in question that we have been guarding" he continued. "It is a prophecy pertaining to Harry and the Dark Lord" he explained ruefully.

"And it says that only Harry can kill him?" Sirius asked with concern in his voice.

"I will not divulge the content of it as even Harry does not wish to know the specifics" Dumbledore answered. "But I have every confidence that he will be successful" he finished firmly raising his hand to silence any protest.

"So we have to rely on a boy to finish this war" Elphias Doge asked in bewilderment.

"My godson is more of a man than any of you at this table and has dealt with more than any of us" Sirius retorted angrily. "If there is anyone who disagrees with that then take it up with him yourself, he is sat right there" he challenged, pointing to Harry.

No one at the table said a word but a few murmurs could be heard.

"Are you going to at least train him?" Doge asked Dumbledore but it was Snape who replied.

"Training?" he asked sarcastically. "He should be locked up for what he did to those men" he answered heatedly to which Harry laughed.

"Yes Snape because you are the moral compass I should look to, clearly you saw the rats memory" Harry spat, "So you saw what they were doing to those women. I would do the same again in a heartbeat without hesitating" he finished dangerously.

"What the hell did the lad do to them?" Moody growled clearly curious as to what Potter was capable of.

"Ask him" Snape spat angrily pointing to Harry who just shrugged.

"Can I see?" Moody asked Harry who just shrugged again.

Sirius retrieved the pensieve and Harry placed the memory in it.

"I warn you it's not pretty" he said to the gathered group who all, minus Snape and Dumbledore had gathered around.

They emerged from the pensieve ten minutes later with mixed reactions.

"Well done Potter" Moody praised. "They got what they deserved" he said proudly.

"Harry how could you do that?" Mrs Weasley asked, clearly in shock. "Where did you learn such dark magic?" She questioned further.

"That is my family magic" Harry responded a little coldly causing the red head to pale.

"Although I don't agree with your methods, you fought well Potter" McGonagall added her thoughts. "Where did you learn parselmagic?" she asked.

"I Picked up a few books" Harry answered nonchalantly.

"Yes, well, well fought" Kingsley praised, a little pale. "And I am sorry for drawing my wand on you earlier" he added as an afterthought.

"It is ok…"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt" the dark skinned auror cut in, extending his hand to which Harry accepted.

"No harm done" Harry replied to the man.

What followed was Harry being introduced to the rest of the group, some taking his hand gladly, others with a little hesitation.

"And that brings me back to you Snape" Harry addressed, when he came to the potions master. "I'll have your vow of silence now so you don't go telling little tales to your master" he insisted.

"And if I refuse?" Snape sneered in response.

"Then I will have to silence you where you stand" Harry replied coldly leaving no doubt that he would do as he just said.

The entire room watched with baited breath at the standoff between the two waiting for either one to make a move. It was Dumbledore that ended the tense situation.

"Severus, please give your vow" he instructed the clearly reluctant man.

Snape looked as though he wanted to argue but eventually complied without resistance.

Harry nodded at the vow he received, satisfied that Snape could not say a word.

Snape made to leave when he was stopped by the boy with a firm hand on his chest.

"Be careful if you're out on any raids with your friends Snape" Harry warned. "If you are in a mask or wear the mark then you are the enemy to me and I will treat you the same way I did them" he said pointing to the pensieve.

Snape pushed past Harry and left as quickly as he could, not uttering a word.

It was soon after that the meeting broke up and after Harry had promised he would visit Sirius more often he left to get some much needed rest. He knew Arcturus would be asleep by now so would explain what happened to the man at breakfast before they would leave for Harry to begin his OWLS.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Arcturus arrived at the ministry of magic disguised suitably of course. They made their way to the wizard at the front desk to check in, something that was an unavoidable aspect of gaining entry in to the main building. They both handed over their wands and the clerk gave them a very critical look before handing them back.

"Very unusual wands you both have there" he stated looking between the two.

Arcturus simply scowled at the man and walked past, ushering for Harry to follow. It was Harrys' first trip to the ministry and he was very disappointed in what he saw. The first thing that bothered him was the golden statue in the atrium that depicted a wizard and witch being looked upon in adoration by various creatures, something Harry knew to be a complete fabrication.

The other thing was how easy it seemed to breach the security here; it was almost non-existent save for the desk clerk they had just left behind.

The building itself looked very boring and Harry had at least expected some kind of magnificent display of magic or something akin to it but found it was mainly a collection of offices filled with paper pusher completing very menial tasks. Instead of focusing on the elevator he was currently in, that seemed to move in all possible directions, he began mentally preparing himself for the day.

His discussion with Arcturus this morning at breakfast had gone as he had expected it would, with the older man simply advising that he take a wait and see approach when it came to the order. The man was clearly not impressed with what he had heard. He had the same stance as Harry when it came to Divination and prophecies and agreed with Harry that if the one pertaining to him and Voldemort did not allude to a definite victor, then it was next to useless for the boy to know and may steer him in a way that would make him less flexible in his approach to dealing with the idiot Dark Lord. Other than discussing those two things mainly, Arcturus spent much of the morning cursing and insulting Dumbledore, something that Harry largely ignored.

They arrived at the Department of Education and Examinations and Arcturus stopped Harry when they got to the door belong to Madame Marchbanks.

"Now remember what I said Potter" he spoke just above a whisper. "Hold nothing back and show them what you are made of" he instructed firmly.

At Harrys' nod the two entered what Harry thought would be an office but found it to be a reasonably large hall with a single desk placed in the centre. At the front of the room were two people, one Harry assumed was Madame Marchbanks herself and the other was a short and very ancient looking wizard who looked as though he was about to keel over from his clearly advanced years. The duo approached the front of the room where the two elder people were and waited to be acknowledged.

"I am glad to see that you made it on time" Marchbanks said approvingly. "I am Madame Marchbanks and I will be conducting the theory side to your examinations and this" she said gesturing to her colleague, "is Professor Tofty, who will administer the practicals" she explained. "May I have a word with you sir?" she questioned Arcturus who agreed and led her some distance away from the other two individuals.

"This is most unusual Arcturus" the woman said in a heated whisper. "Can we at least be open about this with Edward?" she asked indicating the ancient wizard. "I have worked with the man for over 90 years and I trust him completely" she explained.

"Will he give a vow?" Arcturus asked neutrally.

"Yes, I am sure he will" the lady replied confidently.

"Very well, if he gives the vow then I do not see an issue if it is just the two of you carrying out the exams" he answered a little irritably.

"Thank you, it will save the problems that this cloak and dagger approach will cause" she sighed gratefully.

The two then returned to the front of the room where Harry and Professor Tofty were waiting for them.

"Edward, there is something you should be aware of" Madame Marchbanks began. "But it will require a vow of silence on your part and I promise it will in no way put you in any kind of predicament" she added seeing the confusion on her colleagues face.

"That is certainly intriguing Griselda" he said looking amused. "Do you feel the information is worth the vow?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I do" she answered immediately.

The shorter and older looking wizard seemed to ponder it a moment before he removed his wand. "I, Edward Octavius Tofty, give a vow of silence on my life and magic to not reveal anything discussed in the room with the current people in attendance without express permission, so mote it be" he finished looking at the three other people in the room.

"Thank you Edward" Marchbanks sighed in relief. "May I introduce you to Baron Arcturus Black and Harry Potter" she said gesturing to the men.

Professor Toftys' eyebrows rose in surprise, but the look of amusement never left him.

"Definitely worth it" he mumbled to himself quietly. "It has been some years since I have been surprised in such a way" he added chuckling.

By now Harry had removed the glamour's he had worn and Professor Tofty looked at him speculatively.

"This should be a very interesting few days indeed" he surmised looking 20 years younger at least. "I assume because you are here and not at school then there is some truth in the rumours about a certain returning Dark Lord" he stated to Harry.

"He is back" Harry replied honestly.

"Say no more" Tofty intoned clearly not surprised. "I have seen many strange and wondrous things in this world Mr Potter and also some truly awful things, a man returning seemingly from the dead offers little surprise in comparison" he explained to the younger man. "Now Griselda, if you will" he gestured for his companion to continue her explanation of the exams.

"As I was saying" Madame Marchbanks began. "I will be in charge of the theory portion of the exams and Professor Tofty will take over and you will complete the practical with him" she explained. "What subjects are you planning on taking?" she questioned.

Harry removed a piece of parchment from within the robes he was wearing today and handed it to the woman who began to read.

Examination Choices

Defence Against the Dark Arts

Charms

Transfiguration

Potions

Care of Magical Creatures

Ancient Runes

Arithmancy

History of Magic

Herbology

Astronomy

Muggle studies

"Everything except for Divination" she said in surprise. "That is a very demanding schedule" she explained. "You can also gain an extra OWL in duelling if you so wish?" she asked to which Harry immediately agreed to.

"I will inform the auror department and they will send someone down when required" she continued. "Well without further ado I suggest we begin" she added. "Today you will complete; Potions, Transfiguration, Ancient runes and Arithmancy" she informed him marking off the subjects she mentioned. "Please take a seat, and we will begin".

 _(BREAK)_

Harry was mentally drained. The exams themselves had not been difficult but the sheer amount of reading and writing he had done was tiring. He knew he had done well on the theory side of things having answered all the questions, confident in his answers, and even added his own observations and extra information where he could.

His practical potion exam had gone surprisingly well considering it was the subject he spent the least amount of time on. He had to brew the Draught of Peace which was fairly simple and he was grateful that he hadn't been given something overly difficult. He was currently waiting for Professor Tofty to begin his practical for Transfiguration.

"Ok Mr Potter, I would you to transfigure this hedgehog in to a pincushion" he instructed indicating the hedgehog on the desk.

Harry breathed and envisioned what he wanted the hedgehog to become. With a flick of his wand the animal turned into a deep crimson pincushion with and intricate gold pattern.

Professor Tofty raised his eyebrows clearly impressed.

"Non-verbal magic already Mr Potter, that is impressive" he praised. "Now I would like you turn this water into vinegar" he instructed to which Harry complied immediately.

"Very good" Tofty responded with a frown. "Now finally I would like to demonstrate the most advanced form of transfiguration you can complete" he explained looking amused and curious at the same time.

Harry thought for a moment and was suddenly struck with an idea. He concentrated on what he wanted and began channelling his power delicately as not to overdo it on this intricate piece of magic.

On the desk now sat a perfectly conjured but scaled down replica of Hogwarts made entirely of marble.

"That is very impressive indeed Mr Potter" Tofty praised in awe. "You seem to have inherited your fathers' talent for transfiguration" he added approvingly. "That completes your examinations for today I will see you tomorrow" he said dismissing the young man.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and made his way to the exit to head home for the day. He was tired but he still had training to complete, something he certainly would not be neglecting despite the high demand of the exams.

 _(BREAK)_

The rest of the week continued in a similar fashion for Harry. He would arrive at the ministry early and first complete the theoretical portion of the exams in the morning and then the practical in the afternoon if it was required. He found the theory work very easy and answered all the questions without difficulty but it seemed that Professor Tofty, upon seeing how advanced he was with the practical aspect of magic, took it upon himself to put the teen through his paces.

In his Defence practical the elder professor had Harry performing counter curses that he knew was beyond ordinary wizard level and silent when possible.

In his Charms exam the man took the same approach, having Harry perform everything silently, which he managed to do with comparative ease. It was when Tofty asked if there was anything he would like to demonstrate for extra credit that truly impressed the professor.

Harry easily produced a corporeal patronus, something the older man had never seen from a teenager before. When Harry revealed that he could perform the Fidelius charm, the wizened wizard almost fainted on the spot. He instructed Harry to place the charm on the room, making him the secret keeper and to successfully remove it, which in itself was very complex magic.

When Harry had completed as he was instructed the man simply shook his head in disbelief. Professor Tofty was having the most fun he had had in years being an examiner.

It was now the final day and Harry had completed all of the required exams and was waiting to be tested on his duelling, the thing he was most confident in. Although he would only be able to use select spells from his family magic he was sure that he would perform admirably and defeat whoever was placed in front of him.

"Well Mr Potter" Tofty said with excitement. "Considering your performance this week Madame Marchbanks has insisted that we bring in a specialist for your duelling examination" he explained with glee.

Harry just nodded and readied himself for what was to come. He was not nervous knowing that it was very unlikely that Voldemort was going to walk through the door and help him with his academics. He smiled at the amusing thought, applied his glamour's and waited.

A few minutes passed before the door opened revealing a very curious looking Mad-eye Moody, who completely ignored Harry and approached the two examiners.

"This better be worth my time" he growled at them clearly annoyed.

"Believe me Alastor, it will be" Tofty replied shaking in his excitement.

Moody grunted in reply.

"Where is my victim" he asked with a cruel smile that truly completed his sinister look as it manipulated the scars on his face to become more jagged and pronounced.

Tofty simply smiled and pointed behind Moody who allowed his magical eye to turn and view the young man through the back of his head.

Moody followed his eye soon after and looked at the young man critically. When he spotted the wand in the young mans' hand he smirked in recognition and barked out a gravelly laugh.

"Oh I was hoping I would get to duel you Potter" he growled clearly looking forward to the fight. "It has been a very long time since I have had a good battle" he explained.

The two examiners looked confused but remained silent, wanting to see how this would play out between the young man and the very respected ex-auror.

"My Grandfather wrote about you in some of his journals, Senior Auror Moody" Harry said casually causing the man to raise an eyebrow. "He said you were a hell of a fighter but shite at dodging and shielding and from the amount of scars and injuries you have I guess he was right" he added.

Moody looked at the teen in front of him critically and suddenly roared in laughter.

"Aye, he would be right lad" he replied once he had composed himself. "A few of these I got from him personally" he said in remembrance. "He was a great man and a hard bastard your grandfather" he finished knowingly.

"When you are ready gentlemen" Madame Marchbanks cut in impatiently.

"Aye, we best get started then" Moody agreed, immediately launching a bludgeoning hex at Harry who dodged it with ease.

The two examiners watched in complete awe as the former auror and the young man competed in a duel that neither had ever seen the likes of. It was immediately clear that Potter was both faster and considerably more powerful than Moody but the aurors experience certainly made up for it.

They watched as the two combatants traded all manner of spells and used various types of magic in attempt to get the upper hand and saw things that neither had ever seen.

It was Potter that eventually seized the advantage of his youth and caught the ex-auror with a perfectly timed and placed bone breaker to the hand that caused the auror to drop his wand, which the younger man immediately summoned.

Both men were sweating profusely and their breathing was very laboured, they had both performed to the best of their ability and both examiners knew they had just witnessed something very special.

Harry approached Moody and bowed respectfully to the man before handing back his wand.

"Thank you sir" he said with genuine gratitude and offered the grizzled man his hand who accepted.

"That was a hell of a fight" Moody declared breathlessly. "I don't feel any shame losing to you Potter, you beat me fair lad" he admitted.

"Well any time you want to do it again I'd be happy to" Harry responded with a smile.

"Aye lad, so would I" he replied with a grin. "I'd be happy to fight side by side with you when the time comes, Albus was right about you, this is your fight, just let me a part of it" he requested of the younger man who nodded in response.

"That was certainly spectacular" Tofty broke in.

He shook his head and continued.

"Well that concludes your final exam Mr Potter, you are free to go, you will receive your results in due course" he explained.

Harry shook hands with the three people in the room. He was grateful that the exams were over and even more grateful for the experience of duelling a man the calibre of Moody.

Harry was exhausted, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Moody was a very powerful wizard and was a very cunning and creative fighter. Harry realised although he won he still had quite a distance to go before he would be ready. He had picked up many tips from the older man and knew it would be beneficial to him to include them in his own fighting style. He still had work to do and lots of new things to work on.

For now though, he was glad the exams were over and felt that he deserved a treat.

He decided that he was going to get some ice cream before heading home, remembering how fond he was of Mr Fortescue and his wonderful deserts. Harry exited the ministry and apparated to Diagon Alley to satisfy his craving for something sweet and to catch his breath.

Harry appeared in the alley and immediately went to the ice cream parlour where he ordered a combination of raspberry and chocolate topped with nuts.

He sat outside the shop for around an hour slowly eating his treat and simply watched the hustle and bustle of the alley as the people went about their business. He looked on a little enviously at the apparent normality of their lives and couldn't help but wish he was one of those people where the only worry he had was going to work or school and providing and shopping for a family.

He paid for his ice cream and left feeling somewhat dejected at the difficulties he faced in his life and the unfairness of it.

He was walking past a small apothecary when he heard a loud crash coming from within. He glanced in the window and saw that a rather large man was holding the female worker by the front of her robes and had his wand pointed at her throat, the woman was clearly terrified.

Harry immediately felt his anger boil but composed himself and entered the shop casually.

"Get lost kid" the man growled. "We are discussing business" he added in a threatening tone.

Harry looked at the woman who seemed to be begging him to leave with her eyes.

She was a very beautiful woman indeed. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes with a petite figure that was curvy in all the right places. Harry ignored the pleading look and turned his gaze towards the man. It was then he noticed and not so subtle section of a black tattoo protruding from his left sleeve which had ridden up his arm.

"I have my own business to discuss" he replied calmly. "So if you wouldn't remind releasing this lady and leaving, it would be much appreciated" he suggested.

The man turned and looked at the clearly teenage boy and shook his head.

"You have no idea who you are messing with kid" he warned dangerously.

"Oh, I know exactly who I am messing with" Harry replied coldly nodding towards the exposed black ink on the man's arm.

At Harrys' observation the man turned his wand towards him but before he could even aim the wand Harry, as fast as lighting, had released his and launched a bludgeoning hex at the man, hitting him in the face and sending him flying into a display of potions ingredients.

The woman screamed and threw herself to the floor in an attempt to avoid any curses exchanged between the two. She needn't have bothered; the man was clearly unconscious and would not be fighting back.

"Are you ok Ma'am" Harry asked helping the woman to her feet.

"I.. I think so" she replied checking herself over. "Thank you" she said gratefully.

Harry acknowledged her gratitude and approached the man who was heaped on the floor. He raised his left sleeve to confirm his suspicions causing the woman to let out a stifled scream.

"Oh no, this can't be happening" she sighed beginning to breathe heavily.

"Ma'am its ok I can fix it" Harry explained attempting to calm the woman and began going to work on the man.

In less than two minute Harry had finished and placed a conjured ice cube on the body that caused the man to disappear.

"What did you do?" the woman asked suspiciously.

"I modified his memory so he will think he had gotten drunk and can't remember anything" Harry explained. "He won't remember you, me or even the shop" he explained further.

The woman was clearly taken aback at the high level magic the young man had just performed.

"I am sorry about the mess" Harry said sheepishly, breaking her from her thoughts. "Here" he added handing over a bag of Galleons. "This should more than cover the cost".

The woman at first refused to take the gold until Harry insisted that she did. She was confused by the young man in front of her. Not only had he saved her but he had dealt with any problem that could come from the situation.

"Thank you, young man" she spoke again gratefully. "This is my husband's shop and he's away buying more ingredients, I work at the ministry usually" she explained.

"Well I suggest that you close until your husband returns" Harry said. "Times are getting darker by the day and it will only get worse" he added seriously. "You saw the mark on his arm?" he questioned.

At the womans' nod he continued.

"Remember there is always some truth in rumours" Harry confirmed with a nod.

"So he is back then?" she asked clearly concerned.

"Undoubtedly" Harry replied darkly.

"But won't he come for you if he finds out?" she asked in a panic.

"I very much doubt he will find out and even if he does it doesn't matter" Harry explained with a dark chuckle.

"You're not concerned about him coming after you?" She questioned disbelievingly.

"Ma'am, he should be concerned about me coming after him" Harry replied coldly and disappeared silently leaving behind a very confused but grateful Ophelia Greengrass in his wake.

Ophelia did as had been instructed by the young man and closed the shop. She headed home lost in thought about what had happened and concluded that the day had been very strange. She had of course heard the rumours and had been more vigilant but she had not expected to be attacked in broad daylight in a shop her husband had owned for many years.

The young man that rescued her was clearly still a teenager, of that she was sure, so why was he not at school? He was very non-descript also and that baffled her. He looked completely average, too average if truth be told; brown hair and blue eyes and no markings whatsoever that would make him stand out in a crowd. The only defining feature about the young man was the unusual wand he carried. White wood and black crystal was not a mix she had ever come across and she knew by the wand and the magic she witnessed alone that he was not the average wizard his appearance alluded to.

Ophelia Greengrass could not be sure but she was under the impression that she had just met someone very significant, particularly the way he showed no fear in regards to You-Know-Who.

He was either very stupid and deluded, or he was very brave and very capable. This was something she needed to discuss with her husband when he returned and he would not be a happy man learning about the events of the day.

 **A/N**

 **I wanted to do something entirely different with Dumbledore and that was to give him some humanity. Everyone either seems to bash him or make him out to be the second coming of Jesus Christ and I just wanted him to be as normal as possible keeping his eccentricities of course. I didn't want to write a huge section of Harry duelling Moody as it is not really relevant to the rest of the story but I thought it would be cool for them to cross wands a little. Anyway favourite, follow and review as usual and thank you for reading, you guys are great.**

 **TBR**


	9. Paving the Way

Chapter 9: Paving the Way

It was now April and the cold weather that had been sweeping across Britain for the past several months had started to lift and give way to the spring. However the brightening and warmth of the weather was not reflected within the castle at Hogwarts.

Since returning from the Christmas holidays the students had been subject to even more strict and stringent measures, making it near impossible for them to hold any further meetings and even when they managed to come together as a group, it wasn't long before they were broken up. Today was different though. After the news of the mass breakout from Azkaban the members of the group knew they had to meet, it was imperative.

After managing to create a big enough distraction in the Great Hall, in the form of a very large loose bunch of pixies, provided by Luna, the students had managed to secure a classroom on the sixth floor to have a much needed meeting to discuss the events of the past few months.

"It's really happening isn't it?" Lavender Brown spoke once they were all present.

"It's been happening for months Brown" Daphne explained. "A few shops have closed in the alley and are only operating an owl order service. My mum was attacked by a Death Eater in January while my dad was away" she added clearly still upset by what had happened.

There was a collective gasp from the rest of the students.

"Oh my god, is she ok? What Happened?" Hermione questioned with concern.

"She got lucky" Daphne began. "She said that some young guy saved her and kicked the Death Eaters' arse" she added with a grin. "She said that he modified his memory when he was out cold and put a portkey on him and he even paid for the damage in the shop" She finished frowning thoughtfully.

"He must be really brave to take on a Death Eater" Parvati Patil chimed in.

"Or a complete idiot" Ron added.

Hermione frowned at the red head. Ever since they had returned he had been even more bitter and lazy. She thought that after his father was attacked he would buck up his ideas and put more effort in to his work but he instead did the opposite and often found himself in trouble with the Professors for producing such poor work.

"Did she say who he was?" She asked the blonde Slytherin.

"She didn't get his name" Daphne explained shaking her head. "She said he looked average but she thinks he was wearing a glamour and the only unusual thing about him was his wand" She finished shrugging.

"His wand?" Neville questioned.

"Yes, she said it was a white wood and black crystal wand, they were woven together" She replied.

"He must have some very strange cores for it to be made that way" Hermione mused thoughtfully.

"How so?" Neville asked.

"Well usually a wand is one wood with one or two cores that complement each other" she began her explanation. "Crystals are usually used only as focus points, different crystals have different purposes" she added. "If his wand is a mixture of both then that means he has cores that won't bind or will negate each other, he must be a very unusual wizard for that to happen though" She concluded with a shake of her head.

"How do you know that?" Daphne asked in surprise at the knowledge the Gryffindor bookworm had.

"I asked Mr Olivander about the different types of wands and he told me that wands like that are almost unheard of" she explained.

The rest of the students just shook their heads at the bushy haired girl.

"Has anyone else heard anything?" Ginny asked expectantly.

When no one spoke Hermione decided it was probably best they end the meeting so they didn't get caught.

"Are we going to train soon?" Luna asked hopefully.

"It's impossible to do it with Filch, the toad and her squad around" Tracey cut in.

"We just have to practice on our own while we can for now" Hermione said a little sadly. "And just hope we've done enough to pass our OWLS" she added.

"What is Harry going to do about his OWLS, he's missed the whole year" Neville asked. "If he is still alive of course" he added sheepishly.

"I think if Potter is still alive, then OWLS are the least of his worries Longbottom" Daphne sighed exasperatedly. "Has anyone even heard from him? It's almost been a year now" She asked irritably.

"Not a word" Hermione said sadly.

"He's probably done a runner" Ron spat bitterly.

"He has not run Weasley" Neville retorted angrily.

The rest of the group looked at them clearly seeing that something had happened or something was not being shared.

"What is it you know Longbottom?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.

Neville looked like a rabbit caught in headlights and looked at Hermione, clearly wanting her help.

Hermione shrugged at him.

"You haven't heard from him since, have you?" she asked the very nervous looking boy who shook his head in reply.

"Then I guess it doesn't matter if you say" Hermione shrugged again.

"What the hell is it Longbottom? Spit it out or I will hex you" Daphne threatened, drawing her wand.

Neville huffed exasperatedly and held his hands up in defeat.

"I sent Harry a birthday present last year and he replied" Neville explained.

"And you didn't think to tell us" Tracey cut in angrily. "When is his birthday?" she asked clearly annoyed.

"I promised I wouldn't" Neville retorted firmly. "July 31st, a day after mine" he sighed.

"So you" Daphne began prodding the Gryffindor. "Hear from him a month after he disappeared and didn't tell us all year" she asked dangerously.

"He asked me not to tell anyone" Neville replied, now getting annoyed himself. "But he wouldn't run away, I'm not that close to him but I know he's not like that, when have any of you known Harry to quit?" he asked the group heatedly. "He never quit in second year when you all thought he was the heir of slytherin and was attacking us. He didn't quit when the dementors were here and they got to him worse than anyone else and he didn't give up when you all thought he put his name in the goblet of fire and he was pretty much segregated by everyone for months" He finished feeling very angry.

The rest of the students looked embarrassed by the way they had treated Potter.

"And even if he did run from it all would any of you really blame him?" It's not like the wizarding world has been good to him, hell his whole life has been a shit storm" he finished exiting the room and slamming the door as he left.

"Who knew Neville had that in him?" Lavender asked in shock.

Suitably cowed the rest of the group departed for their own dormitories. They were glad they got the chance to discuss at least a few things of importance, even if it did end with them being reprimanded by Longbottom.

 _(BREAK)_

The mood of Lord Voldemort had not improved over the last few months. Firstly, Lucius and Severus had failed in their investigation to identify the young man who had thwarted Peter's attempt at capturing the wife of Jean Delacour. Secondly, the Death Eaters he had had under his command had been nothing but incompetent having failed to carry out the most simple of orders, one of the reasons he found himself liberating his more loyal and useful followers much sooner than he had originally planned.

The Dark Lord was nothing if not meticulous in his planning and he had spent many years as a younger man finding a way to secure his place in this world in the form of his horcruxes, something exceedingly difficult to create. Being the paranoid man he was, he had been to check on the ones that he could currently access and found himself in an uncontrollable rage from what he had discovered. Discovering that Regulus had betrayed him had surprised him but he had killed the man many years ago for his actions. He discovered that the ring belonging to his paternal Grandfather had also gone missing and that whoever took it had left no trace of themselves behind. He concluded it must have been a very gifted wizard to pull off a feat like this.

Upon questioning Lucius about the diary he had placed in his care, the man went to pieces and had to be most severely punished for his transgression against his master. He was very fortunate that he was a very useful asset or he would most certainly have found himself dead. The Dark Lord suspected that the man had wished for death during the course of his punishment.

This led to him making the decision to free his followers prematurely and risk coming out in the open, he needed to be sure of his other items.

Bellatrix had one in her vault at his request and her connection to the Black family and Regulus had him worried for the welfare of the cup. Thus, this was the main the main reason for acting as he had. He also required the services of the Dementors to offer a distraction while Peter retrieved the final one he had placed at Hogwarts.

Usually he would simply ask Severus to retrieve it but with the man's knowledge of the dark arts, it was very likely that he would recognise what it was and he wanted to protect his secret as best he could and keep it to himself unless it became entirely necessary.

He knew Peter could get in to the castle as he had spent many years there undetected in his rat form and he knew he was not versed enough in magic to recognise what it was he was retrieving.

The last one of his creations was with him always in the form of his familiar. He knew it had been a risk creating one from a live vessel but he found upon doing it the snake became much more intelligent and very resistant to magic. Overall he was content that this one was at least safe. The thing that had him concerned the most was the fact that he knew he wouldn't be able to create any more. The soul is not an infinite source and he knew from the creation of the last one that it would no longer be a viable option.

They pain had been unbearable and he had been out of sorts for months. Perhaps creating the last one had been a mistake on his part.

He was broken from his reverie by the arrival of Bellatrix who was looking terrible, Azkaban had been terrible to her and she looked just like an inferi. Her beauty had faded with her years spent in there and what was left was a shadow of the vibrant woman she used to be. Now she was nothing more than a psychopath but would certainly be useful in a fight once she was a little healthier.

"My Lord" She began falling to her knees in front of her master. "The goblins allowed me entry as you said they would" She explained.

"And what of my item?" the Dark Lord asked impatiently.

"My vault was empty my Lord, there was nothing in there" She sputtered, quivering in fear. "The goblins said that the ministry seized the contents" she added continuing to shake.

The Dark Lord growled in annoyance, but was hit by a realisation. If the ministry had seized it then it is likely that all of the contents were simply moved to a larger and much more protected vault of their own.

Although that was likely he still did not want to risk his final one and knew he needed Peter to be successful in his plan. If he wasn't then so help the rat, he would die the most painful and humiliating death the Dark Lord could devise.

"Very well Bella" He intoned neutrally, "go rest and eat I will have use for you soon enough" he instructed.

"Yes my Lord, thank you" Bellatrix replied bowing, clearly relieved at the mercy of her master. She left the room followed shortly by the Dark Lord, who had a discussion with some Dementors to have.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry Potter was currently sat in Diagon Alley eating ice cream outside of Florean Fortescues' simply watching the crowd, something he had been doing a lot recently particularly after the incident in the apothecary a few months ago.

He had in the intervening months prevented a few other attempts at intimidation and attacks from single Death Eaters and had recommended that the owners run an owl service only business for the time being which they had quickly listened to, having been harshly made aware of the reality of the spreading rumours.

He had become adept at disguising himself but it was something he did not enjoy doing, he did not feel himself in his various disguises he had come up with, something he made sure he changed each time he came here.

He had, as he promised himself, both changed and increased his training, incorporating many new aspects to improve himself as much as he could and as a result he knew now that he was better than ever which was a relief to him, particularly after the breakout from Azkaban and the subsequent reporting of the incident in the Daily Prophet.

Clearly the minister had prevented any speculation or allusions to the Dark Lord, blaming Sirius for helping the prisoners to escape as he had done it himself before. Both Harry and Arcturus were incensed by the article and it had taken them both a very long time to calm down. Harry knew that it would have to be sooner rather than later that he would have to bring the Dark Lord out in the open if things continued the way they were but first and foremost he had to catch the elusive rat to clear his Godfather's name.

The rat had yet to make any appearance that Harry had been aware of. He had done as he previously had and spent times in various hovels trying to catch even a whisper of the rat and his whereabouts but to no avail. He had picked up a few names of Death Eaters and made a mental note of them for future reference but other than that, these efforts had been fruitless. It seemed that Pettigrew was keeping a low profile and it infuriated Harry to no end but he knew he would have to remain patient. He had tasked Dobby with searching for the man also and much to the elf's disappointment, it had been a dead avenue also.

The reason that Harry was here was that he simply needed some fresh air. He and Arcturus had had a heated discussion about the Azkaban escape and in particular Arcturus's granddaughter, Bellatrix.

Arcturus insisted that although she was one of Riddle's top Death Eaters, she was still his family and he would not allow Harry to kill her if he came across her unless absolutely necessary.

Harry had countered the argument by pointing out that she had tortured and murdered innocent people, but Arcturus would not concede.

Eventually the argument got so heated that both men were no longer making any sense and Harry had left not wanting to upset the man further. Despite the fact that he was a cantankerous old git at the best of times, Harry did care for him deeply and was grateful for what he had done.

While sitting here he had decided that he would respect the man's wishes but would not hold back if the deranged woman tried to attack him or anyone else. He knew Arcturus would not be entirely happy with his compromise but he would accept it.

Harry had been visiting his Godfather more regularly since he met with Dumbledore and the rest of the order but had not attended any more meetings with the group knowing he could trust the old man to contact him with any important information.

He had received his OWL results in mid-February, much later than he had expected to. The letter with the results had informed him that there were difficulties in grading his work as he was clearly capable way beyond the curriculum and there had been some considerable debating between his two examiners which had caused the delay. Overall he was very happy and very proud of what he had achieved as was Arcturus who praised him for his efforts and ability in a rare show of visual pride. He ensured Harry that his grandparents would be extremely proud of him also. With his results he had been offered a very rare opportunity and he was very much looking forward to it when the time was right.

Harry continued watching the people in the alley that was definitely much emptier today than it usually was; hardly surprising considering the outbreak. He would spend the day here until darkness falls and then he would head to Knockturn Alley and see if any information could be gathered about the rat or even the escape from the notorious prison.

 _(BREAK)_

Peter Pettigrew had just been dismissed by the Dark Lord and he was not comfortable with the mission he had been given to redeem himself but knew he could not refuse his master. He knew he could get in the castle without any problems it was getting out that worried him. He was aware that as soon as the Dementors attacked then a full alert would be implemented and the castle would be locked down. The rat would be alone, something he did not like.

The only back up he had would be the distraction of the Dementors and that made him very nervous. The one thing he was grateful was that the Dark Lord had allowed him to wait until the next Hogsmeade weekend meaning that the castle would be mostly empty, giving him the only real advantage towards completing the task. He just hoped that it would be enough and the plan would go off without a hitch.

 _(BREAK)_

The day that the students of Hogwarts had been waiting for had finally arrived; the last day of term before the Easter holidays. Today was a Hogsmeade day and the students were grateful at the early reprieve from the tyranny of the toad and her chosen cronies. Even though they were leaving tomorrow, everyone in the castle who could leave seem to have opted to do so for a few care free hours.

Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny had decided to go to the village early as none of them had fully packed for the trip home the following day and they were hoping that with the castle much emptier, they would be able to get a little practical practice in without being disturbed. Thus they were among the first students to leave the castle hoping to return quickly.

They spent their time shopping for sweets in Honeydukes and at the request of Hermione, went to Slug and Jiggers for a top up on her potion ingredients knowing that Diagon Alley was not the most desirable place to be at the moment in time.

With their shopping complete they had time for a quick butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks before they headed back to the castle to pack as they had planned. Ron complained loudly that his day in the village was cut short but even he couldn't wait to get home for a breather and to have some of his mothers' home cooking.

With their packing complete they made their way to the 6th floor classroom they had used for the previous meeting and began practicing the spell work they were not allowed to under normal circumstances, completely unaware of anything that was happening outside of the room they had warded and silenced accordingly.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne, Astoria and Tracey had decided that they would pack before heading to the village knowing that most of the students would be getting the carriages at the earliest possible opportunity to spend as much time out of the castle as they could.

It was around 11:30 by the time they had finished their packing and made their way to the entrance hall to be checked out by Filch who was clearly in a sour mood.

The castle was silent as the trio had expected as clearly the students had acted as they had predicted. After being jabbed and prodded unnecessarily by the caretaker they caught a carriage and made their way in to the very busy village.

"So much for it being quieter later" Tracey grumbled agitatedly.

"I didn't say it would be quieter" Daphne pointed out. "I just said it would be better to pack earlier and avoid the rush for the first carriages" she explained to her friend.

"Let's just be grateful we get to leave" Astoria chimed in. "I can't stand Malfoy leering at everyone and strutting around the common room like a peacock, I just want to hex the bastard every time I see him" she said with a cruel smirk.

"Yes, well we get two weeks away from the ferret, he's been much worse since Potter has been away and not embarrassed him all year" Tracey added in disgust. "I wish he would come back even just to put Malfoy in his place" She finished thoughtfully.

"Draco is just a ponce" Daphne proclaimed. "He will get what's coming to him eventually" she concluded.

The trio made their way to the Three Broomsticks to get some lunch as it had taken them a reasonable amount of time to make their way through the crowds. They managed to find a table in the busy pub and ordered their food.

When they finished eating the left the pub and re-joined the crowd in the busy street.

"What do you need to get?" Tracey asked the sisters trying to avoid being bustled around too much.

"I need potions ingredients" Astoria replied.

"I was only planning on getting some sweets and going to zonkos' to get a surprise for our resident fifth year prefects" Daphne responded looking mischievous.

Tracey shook her head at her friend. She knew Daphne had quite a mean streak but she had been terrorising Pansy a lot recently and now seemed to be ready to turn her attention to Malfoy.

"Well why don't you do that and I will go with Tori, I need to get a new cauldron and we can meet you here in half an hour" Tracey suggested.

Daphne knowing that it made no sense for all three of them to try and make their way through the crowds to the different shops agreed and went on her way. Zonkos was not far from the apothecary so she went to Honeydukes first, thinking she would catch her friend and sister as they were finishing their shopping.

Things were going according to plan. She had gotten her sweets and exited the shop to make her final stop. It was then that things went horribly wrong. She could feel a slight chill in the air and could hear screams coming from the other side of the village.

She withdrew her wand and made her way towards the screams filled with dread. It was then she realised what was happening.

"Oh Shit" she cursed.

She had been practicing tirelessly ever since Granger had spoken of the difficulty of it, but she was not ready for this.

 _(BREAK)_

Arcturus was sat in his office poring over the map he had borrowed from Potter that his moron of a grandson and his friends had made at school. He was loathe to admit it, but it was quite an extraordinary item and one that he was sure would be able to help him find what he was looking for.

He was sure that Riddle had left one of his abominations in the castle, he was cocksure enough to do it, that was for certain.

He had waited for today to look over the map after he discovered it would be a Hogsmeade day and he could look at it without being distracted by the moving dots of the students. He had already discovered that there were many rooms and tunnels around the castle that he had never been aware of and according to Potter, there were even more.

The boy had pointed out that the chamber of secrets wasn't marked on the map so the chances of there being other hidden rooms was quite high. But Arcturus knew that learning as much as he could from the map was a good start and he could at least garner some idea where it could be hidden. He would have Potter check the chamber when the time was right and any other room he found of interest on the map.

He knew Potter could get in and out of the castle with his cloak and the map undetected so had already began to put a plan in place to have him search but that meant he would need to include the boy on all the details, something he wasn't ready to share yet unless he was completely sure of a firm location he had confidence in.

As he was looking the map over he noticed an isolated dot located in the Shrieking Shack that made him stiffen and had him hurrying quickly from the room with a cruel yet triumphant grin on his face.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry had just finished dressing after his post-workout shower and was preparing to make his way to the alley to see if he could gather anything from listening to the crowds. He was about to begin applying his glamour when his door burst open and Arcturus charged in clutching the map looking gleeful.

"The rat is at the Shrieking Shack" he spoke breathlessly handing the parchment to the teen, evidently the older man had ran to the room.

Harry looked at the map and grinned. He was about to disapparate when a pop sounded and a frantic Dobby appeared in the room looking very fearful.

"Harry Potter sir the Dementies are attacking the students' sir" he shouted in a panic.

Harry grabbed the elf to calm him and addressed him as quickly and controlled as he could.

"Go and tell Dumbledore" he instructed the elf.

"Professor Whiskers is already there Harry Potter sir" the elf explained. "Professor Whiskers and the other Professors is there sir but they is too many Dementies" he explained panicking more.

"Get the rat first Potter" Arcturus said. "Dumbledore can at least hold them off until you or the aurors get there" he said confidently.

Harry nodded and disappeared, appearing outside the shack. He checked the map and saw that Peter was just inside. Harry disillusioned himself and silenced his feet before entering.

Seeing the door opening that rat squeaked and made a break for the stairs that led to the tunnel that would bring him the base of the Whomping Willow. It did not take long for him to locate the rat who was making his way through the tunnel. Harry saw a glint of silver in the darkness and fired a well-aimed stunner at the traitor, catching the rat on its flank.

He summoned the rat and stunned it again, for good measure.

"Where were you going Peter, we have a lot of catching up to do" he spoke to unconscious vermin with a twisted smile.

He quickly remembered the Dementors that were plaguing the village and quickly made his way to help. He exited the shack and walked straight in to a scene of complete panic and chaos.

The Dementors were spread out and not attacking in a concentrated fashion as they usually would, making it much more difficult to combat the creatures. Harry charged forward and quickly saw a blonde student attempting a patronus charm that was just not strong enough to fight of the Dementor that had accosted her. He watched in horror as her weak shield fell and the beast approached her.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he said casually, knowing he had to remain calm.

His Thestral erupted from the end of his wand and galloped audibly into the Dementor causing it to flee with a loud screech of fury into the air, which his patronus followed and began flying at every one of the creatures it came to. Harry noticed the girl was about to keel over and apparated to her side and managed to catch the near unconscious blonde in his arms before she hit the floor.

 _(BREAK)_

The sheer number of Dementors that were attacking had Albus Dumbledore worried. He was very adept with the Patronus charm but the way the creatures were scattered made it difficult even for his powerful phoenix to combat.

He had sent word to the auror office but they were notoriously slow at responding so for the time being it was only himself, Minerva and Filius who were able to produce the charm powerful enough to be of any use.

The cold was truly settling in on him now and he began to feel the effects which made it difficult to maintain the spell. He could see that his colleagues were fairing no better but he would not give in though.

He steeled himself and pushed as hard as he could with his magic.

His phoenix grew brighter but he knew it would not be enough to put the odds in his favour.

He was beginning to lose hope when he suddenly heard a screech of rage from one of the beasts and looked up to see a huge Thestral Patronus ploughing through the air, beating its powerful wings and defending the village without abandon.

Albus Dumbledore smiled as he felt the warmth and hope fill him, there was only one young man capable of such a feat; Harry Potter had come to their aide.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne Greengrass knew that she was at her limit and was feeling the last of her magical reserves leaving her body in her attempt at repelling the Dementor that had attacked her. Upon realising what had happened she had tried to hurry to find her sister and best friend when she encountered the creature. She had been working on her patronus for months and had only been able to produce a silvery misty shield at best which was much harder in the moment when it mattered.

She felt her shield fail and knew that this was it; she was going to be killed before she had even left school. She felt disorientated and slightly delirious from the effort it had taken to even fight as well as she had. She thought she could hear the galloping of hooves followed by a terrifying screech, She felt as though she had been hoisted from the ground then she knew no more.

She came to her senses feeling very light and warm as though she was in a gentle and comfortable embrace; if this was heaven then she would be content with this feeling eternally.

She could still hear the screams and was confused as to why she could still hear the happenings of the village in the afterlife. She opened her eyes and found that she was in the arms and pulled gently against the muscular chest of a young man.

The first thing she noticed as she looked up was a bright emerald fire in his eyes, beautiful emerald eyes that were radiating a power, but it was not a power that made her shudder in apprehension. On the contrary it was a power that made her feel safe and added to her already comfortable state.

"You have very beautiful eyes" She murmured in her delirium and pulled herself closer to the young man instinctively and nestled her head deeper in his chest.

She felt the man chuckle and shake his head.

"Thank you miss" the man replied in obvious amusement.

"Am I in heaven?" she mumbled, causing him to chuckle again.

"If you are then I am honoured that I am your idea of a suitable afterlife my lady" he responded sounding even more amused.

It was then that Daphne realised she was in fact not dead as she heard the voice of Astoria cut in to her bliss.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing with my sister?" she heard her question the young man angrily.

"Calm down Miss" he replied quietly. "Your sister was being attacked by a Dementor, I helped her and she passed out" he explained.

"Yes well you can put her down now" She retorted clearly annoyed to find her sister in the arms of a man.

She felt him shrug before he addressed her.

"Are you ok to stand Miss?" he asked.

Daphne nodded reluctantly and felt herself being placed gently on her feet. She shot her sister a look to express her annoyance before turning to face the man.

He was tall and muscular with short dark hair and was well groomed. He had the brightest green eyes she had ever seen that were still simmering with the undercurrent of power she could see there but the eyes looking back on her were now looking at her with concern in them. She could get lost in those eyes and she wouldn't even care. She shook her head. Daphne Greengrass did not fawn over boys. It was then that she saw the wand that he was holding and her eyes widened in shock.

"It was you" She stammered pointing at him.

"Me?" he questioned looking confused, clearly thinking that she was still delirious.

"Yes, it was you, you saved my mother" she explained looking at Tracey and Astoria who by now had also noticed his wand.

"I did?" he asked again.

"Yes the apothecary in Diagon Alley, all she could remember was how unique your wand was" she explained getting a little frustrated.

"Ahh" he replied in realisation. "The beautiful blonde lady who looks much like yourself and your sister" he realised indicating the sisters.

Daphne flushed at the compliment that didn't go unnoticed by her friend who raised her eyebrow at her.

"Thank you, for saving her" Astoria cut in no longer annoyed at the mystery man.

"Yes, thank you" Daphne echoed her sisters' sentiments. "And thank you for saving me" She said shyly. "It looks like my family owe you" she added.

The young man shook his head.

"You don't owe me anything" he intoned. "I just did what I knew was the right thing" he explained.

Strangely, he then removed a rat with a silver paw from his pocket and sighed in relief.

"Now if you ladies will excuse me, I have to go and clear my godfathers name" he declared placing the rat in his pocket and nodding to someone behind the trio of girls.

"Wait.." Daphne shouted, but it was too late, the young man had disappeared without a sound.

The group turned to see Professor Dumbledore watching them with his eyes twinkling madly.

"Professor, do you know who he was?" Daphne asked the headmaster.

"Yes, he is the young man who prevented a lot of loss and heartache today" the old man replied cryptically.

"I meant his name sir" Daphne responded.

"Ahh, he did not give you one?" he asked the girl clearly amused.

"No sir" Daphne replied. "But he saved mine and my mothers' life and I wanted to be able to thank him properly" she explained.

Even though the young man had insisted she nor her mother owed him anything, she at least wanted to show her gratitude and appreciation to him. There are not many who would intervene the way he had, and to do so twice was certainly something.

"Yes he is a rather special young man isn't he" the headmaster mused. "But if he did not give you a name then it is not my place to" he explained firmly. "I'm sure all will be revealed soon enough" he added knowingly with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

With that the trio left the company of the headmaster and made their way back to the castle, grateful that they had managed to survive an encounter with the now former guards of Azkaban.

"He was gorgeous wasn't he?" Tracey broke the silence dreamily.

"Daphne thought so" Astoria replied with a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Oh shut up Tori" her sister retorted and moved ahead of the other two who seemed intent on teasing her because of her lapse in coherency in a moment of weakness.

They made their way in to the entrance hall and were stopped by Granger, Longbottom and the two youngest Weasleys.

"What happened?" Granger asked having seen the state of some of the returning students.

"Dementors" Tracey replied shaking her head.

"Oh my god" Hermione replied with wide eyes. "Is everyone ok?" she asked clearly concerned.

"Dumbledore seems to think so" Tracey answered the Gryffindor who breathed a sigh of relief.

"It was close to ending badly though" Astoria cut in. "If it wasn't for that guy turning up with his patronus it would have been bad" She surmised.

"What guy?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Ask Daphne" Tracey responded, her eyes full of mirth. "She was the one who was in his arms" she added laughing at her friends look of betrayal.

"Shut up Tracey" Daphne hissed at her friend.

"What happened?" Hermione asked ignoring the teasing from Tracey.

"I don't really know" Daphne admitted. "I was trying to fight off a Dementor and I passed out. I woke up and this guy was holding me" she explained.

"Things were going bad" Astoria cut in. "They were everywhere and the Professors couldn't stop them" she continued shaking her head. "Then there was this loud screech and a really big patronus came out of nowhere and chased them all away".

"What was the patronus?" the bushy haired girl questioned the younger blonde.

"I don't know I've never seen a creature like it. but it was like a really big horse with wings and it looked wrinkly, oh and it had a pointed tail and a weird face" she explained her face screwed up in thought.

"A Thestral" Hermione breathed.

"A what?" the rest of the group asked in unison.

"You can only see them if you have seen death" she explained. "They are supposed to be really bad luck because of it but they are amazing creatures and very powerful and intelligent. They are really protective of their young and vulnerable members of the herd. If that guys has that as his patronus he must be quite something" she finished thoughtfully.

"And he is gorgeous isn't he Daphne" Tracey asked nudging her friend with her elbow who just growled in response.

"He was the one who saved our mum" Astoria explained. "He had the wand".

Hermione frowned.

"Was there anything else about him?" she asked.

"Well he is tall and muscly and gorgeous" Tracey started listing off but was elbowed by Daphne who was clearly getting irritated by her friend.

"Green eyes" Daphne said quietly. "He had really bright green eyes" she said again a little shyly.

"Oh and he left without even giving a name" Tracey added. "He had a dead rat with him and said something about clearing his Godfather" she finished.

That final piece of information had the Gryffindors' sharing knowing looks of shock and realisation.

"Harry" Hermione said breathily.

"Huh?" Tracey questioned.

"It was Harry, the rat must have been Pettigrew" she exclaimed.

"But Harrys' patronus is a stag" Ginny pointed out.

"It can change" Hermione said dismissively.

"Potter?" Astoria chimed in. "You're saying that was Potter" she said looking amused.

"Definitely" Hermione replied clearly thinking.

"Oh this is great" Tracey suddenly cut in laughing and pointing at Daphne. "You were saved by the golden boy and were melting in to him, don't even deny it I saw that look you gave him" she added gleefully.

"Shut up Tracey" Daphne hissed again, cursing herself for the way she had acted. "Like I would be interested in Potter" she finished unconvincingly.

"Just as well" Ron piped up angrily. "Harry wouldn't date a snake anyway, he hates all of you" he spat and had a bitter grin on his face.

The three Slytherins knowing that Weasley would be on a rant for a while decided to make their excuses and leave and go back to their common room.

Daphne quickly made further excuses so she could be alone for a while citing that she was tired.

She sat on her bed in her dormitory lost in thought. She couldn't believe that she had been saved by Potter. Not that she had anything against him personally but if word got out about the way she acted then it would be a nightmare for her. She was grateful that tomorrow was the start of the holidays and that this could all just blow over. She would have to have a word with her sister and so called best friend to ensure they kept their mouths shut.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived back in the drawing room to an expectant Arcturus, who just looked at the boy with an impatient expression marring his face.

"Well?" he questioned when Harry said nothing.

Harry reached into his pocket and removed the still stunned animagus and dangled him in front of the older man, his face splitting into a triumphant grin.

"Good work Potter" Arcturus praised. "Now we can get that idiot grandson of mine free finally".

Harry nodded in reply.

"I will let Sirius know we have him" he replied.

"Good, and make sure you take the rat directly to Amelia Bones, she's a fair woman and will do what is right. If she doesn't then do whatever you have to do to make sure that Sirius gets his trial, understood?" he finished questioningly.

"I'll take the rat, but first me and Peter have a little catching up to do" he replied with a cruel smile.

Arcturus shook his head at the boy.

"I understand" he began. "But do not kill him" he instructed firmly. "We need him alive and don't you forget it" he finished sternly.

He knew Potter would want to confront the man hell, he had more right than any. He just wanted to make sure the boy didn't forget what was at stake here and make the same mistake his moronic grandson made.

"I won't kill him" Harry promised. "But he might just wish I had" he added with malice and clear intentions.

With that Harry left the drawing room and took the rat to the training room. He conjured a chair and placed Pettigrew on it and pointed his wand at the traitor. He flicked his wand at the rat and it slowly changed in to the man he had met almost two years ago, the man that was responsible for the death of his parents and the man that was the cause of the second rise of the Dark Lord.

Harry looked at the man with disgust, just his breathing offended him and made him feel a hatred he had never felt before. He flicked his wand towards the man and bound him to the chair.

" _Ennervate"_ he muttered, causing the rat to stir.

Peter Pettigrew awoke in an unfamiliar room and immediately saw that he was being watched by a young man, a young man with eerily green eyes that instantly put him on edge and feel a trickle of fear seep into his very being. He realised he was bound to a chair and despite his efforts, he could not transform.

"The Dark Lord will kill you for interfering in his plan" he explained to the young man who just narrowed his eyes.

"Oh I hope he tries" the man replied laughing.

It was not a joyous laugh, but a cold one that truly dared the ire of the Dark Lord to turn to him and it made Peter very uncomfortable.

"You managed to escape me in France you fucking traitor but I knew I would get you in the end" the man spat and snarled at Peter.

A sudden realisation hit him and the animagus began to tremble uncontrollably. This was the man he had seen destroy his entire team.

Peter knew he was truly in trouble now.

"Whatever I did I'm sorry" he tried pleadingly. "I don't even know who you are" he finished lamely.

The man just raised an eyebrow at him and continued to stare. It was several moments before he spoke again.

"So you don't recognise the son of your so called friends?" he asked. "The friends you sold out to Voldemort, you cowardly shit" he roared, his eyes flaring even brighter in anger.

It was then that Peter realised who this was. But how could it be? He had seen the Dark Lord kill him. He remembered the boy from 2 years ago, the small underfed boy who had pleaded with Black and Lupin to spare him. He felt a brief moment of hope that he would be spared again but catching the young mans' eyes, he knew that would not be the case.

"Ha.. Harry?" he asked disbelievingly.

"So you finally see it do you" Harry replied coldly.

"You're not going to kill me, you're not like them" Peter managed to reply unconvincingly and sweating profusely from the nervousness he was feeling.

"You're right Peter, I won't kill you" the teen replied much to the relief of the other man. "But I am going to make you suffer, cause you a fraction of the pain you caused me, Sirius and Remus" he added icily and began to walk towards the shaking man.

"Wh.. What are you doing?" the rat stammered out, clearly terrified.

Harry looked at the rat calculatingly before giving a single word answer.

"Justice" he replied callously.

The next several hours would be the worst of Peter Pettigrews' life. Many times he wished that the teen would just kill him but it was not to be. By the end of his ordeal he had screamed his vocal chords raw and he had, and was, experiencing a pain he never thought possible. He found himself looking forward to being handed over to the aurors, at least there he would be safe from Harry Potter.

 _(BREAK)_

Platform 9 ¾ the next day was filled with worried and frantic parents waiting for their children arrive for the Easter Holidays. They had of course been informed of the attack in Hogsmeade yesterday and now almost every parent of the students seemed to be waiting to make sure that no harm had come to them personally.

One such couple were the Greengrass parents.

Ophelia and Jonathan were waiting with Davis family, having spent a restless night and day for the moment their children would be safely back with them. Jonathan in particular had not slept. Ever since his wife had been attacked he had not been able to relax and had been very on edge. Finding out that his two daughters had been in such danger had pushed him over that edge and he just wanted them with him so he could hold them in his arms and see that they were truly ok.

After what seemed like an eternity the train pulled into the station and the students slowly began to exit the train. Tense eyes scanned each child as they left impatiently, slowly turning into relief when the recognition of their child registered, others continuing the tense search seeking that same relief.

Eventually the tension subsided and each parent and child were reunited, they were safe, miraculously they were all safe.

Jonathan pulled his daughters in to his arms and held them for everything he was worth. He was not usually an overtly emotional man and it was not often that he would be seen giving public displays of affection such as this but today was different, today he was a father first and foremost, his reputation be damned.

"Are you girls ok?" he asked the trio when has was satisfied they were physically well.

"Fine dad" Daphne replied quietly.

"All thanks to your hero" Tracey chimed in, feigning a swoon that caused Astoria to laugh.

"Hero?" Jonathan asked with a frown.

"Yep" Astoria responded looking mischievous before her sister could. "The same boy who helped mum, the one with the wand" She added turning to her mother.

This peaked Jonathan's interest greatly.

"Is that so"? he asked with a raised eyebrow. "And did you happen to catch the name of this mystery wizard?" he added.

He himself was keen to track the young man down. He had spent the last few months making discreet inquiries but to no avail. The man had saved his wife and now had seemingly come to his daughter's aide also. He wanted to show the young man his gratitude for rescuing the most important thing to him, and now it seemed he truly owed the wizard.

"Not here" Daphne growled in an annoyed tone to her best friend and sister, turning and walking towards the barrier.

"What's wrong with her?" Ophelia asked the other two teens.

"She's been in a bad mood all day" Astoria responded, "I think she's embarrassed" she finished with a shrug.

"Embarassed? Are you going to explain what happened?" She questioned the two impatiently.

"Yes but Daphne is right, not here" Astoria replied, indicating the large crowd.

"Back home it is then, are you coming Robert, Susan?" Jonathan asked Tracey's parents.

"We are just as keen to get to the bottom of this as you are" Robert responded eliciting a nod of agreement from his wife. "Lead the way" he shrugged.

The group made their way to the apparition point where Daphne was waiting for them looking impatient.

The parents apparated the teens to the Greengrass home where they could talk more privately. Jonathan led them to the lounge area and gestured for everyone to take a seat, Daphne did so reluctantly.

"So what happened yesterday?" Jonathan asked. "We were told it was a Dementor attack but we didn't get any details" he explained.

"The village was busy" Tracey began. "So we split up. Me and Tori needed some things from the potion shop and Daphne went to Honeydukes. We heard screaming but didn't pay any attention to it at first. When we went outside it was really cold and they were everywhere" she explained with a shudder. "The professors were trying to fight them but there were too many".

"How many?" Robert cut in.

"Easily over a hundred" Tracey replied to which Astoria nodded. "Well out of nowhere we heard one of them screech and we saw a huge patronus fly in and sent them off" She continued.

"A Thestral" Astoria piped up. "It sent them all away with Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwicks' help" she explained.

"We went looking for Daphne and saw her in his arms, it was his patronus" Tracey finished.

"Daphne?" her mother questioned.

Daphne sighed in resignation but knew her mother would want to know.

"I came out of Honeydukes and heard the screams and could feel the cold. I tried to find those two and was attacked by a Dementor" she continued quietly. "I tried to fight it off but my patronus isn't strong enough" she explained disappointedly. "I felt myself getting weak and then my spell failed and I woke up in his arms. But I think I heard hooves and the Dementor screech and he caught me before I fell" She finished.

"Well just the fact you can produce any kind of patronus is a hell of a feat and you should be very proud" Her father praised. "What happened next?" he asked further.

Daphne turned red at the question not wanting to answer.

"Well we came over and Daphne looked very happy in his arms" Tracey cut in, her eyes full of mirth. "What was he laughing at by the way?, you didn't tell us" she asked her friend.

"Shut up Tracey, I thought I was dead" Daphne retorted heatedly turning red further.

"Daphne?" her mother questioned.

"I told him he had beautiful eyes alright, can you just drop it now" she responded irritably. "And if you tell anyone I will kill you" she threatened the two teens.

Tracey and Astoria burst out laughing to the point they had tears in their eyes. It was the fact that Daphne had even said it that amused them so much, it was so out of character to the point of hilarity.

After the two had composed themselves it was Tracey who attempted to come to her friends rescue.

"You are right though, everything about him is beautiful" Tracey intoned dreamily.

"Oh Shut up" Daphne replied simply.

"You still haven't told us who he is?" Jonathan interrupted.

"Oh that is the best bit" Tracey replied instantly looking very amused again. "It was Potter, Daphne was happily in the golden boy's arms" she added with a grin.

"Potter? As in Harry Potter?" Jonathan asked clearly surprised.

"The one and only" Tracey responded.

"So he's been found then?" Robert asked.

"Not exactly" Tracey replied. "He didn't tell us his name it was his friends that worked it out. Dumbledore saw him and wouldn't give us his name either" she explained further.

"Not that it matters anyway" Daphne cut in after finally composing herself.

"What do you mean?" Jonathan asked.

"Well I explained that he had saved mum, which he remembered, and when I said that our family owes him he just shrugged it off and said we didn't owe him anything and that he was just doing the right thing" Daphne explained.

"And he said you were beautiful, just like your mother" Tracey added much to the chagrin of the blonde.

"Shut up Tracey or so help me I will hex you" Daphne threatened.

"Well the boy clearly has good taste in women" Jonathan added receiving a slap to the shoulder from his wife who had turned red.

"Be that as it may" Ophelia began. "I would like to thank him in some way, I guess none of you know how to contact him?" she asked the teens.

"Actually Longbottom sent him an owl and he replied last year" Tracey answered, remembering the previous meeting they had. "And I'm guessing Dumbledore knows how to contact him too" she added.

Ophelia nodded.

"Then we shall invite him for dinner" she stated, gaining different reactions from those assembled.

"Oh please mum no" Daphne pleaded. "It's embarrassing enough" she moaned.

"Oh I have to be here for that" Tracey demanded, her eyes alight with amusement once again.

"It's the least we can do Daphne" her mother replied firmly.

"Don't worry Daphne" Astoria chirped. "You get to tell him how pretty his eyes are again" She finished causing everyone except her sister to laugh.

Daphne half growled, half screeched and left the room in a huff.

"She's been like that since she found out it was Potter who saved her" Astoria pointed out.

"Ahh" Ophelia intoned. "She's torn" she concluded, getting a nod from Susan.

"Torn?" Tracey questioned with a frown.

"Clearly she likes the boy" her mother explained. "But because of who it is she won't admit it" she explained knowingly.

"Oh" Tracey whispered in understanding. "And there was me thinking she swung the other way" she added.

"Tracey!" her mother reprimanded.

"Well she's almost sixteen and up until yesterday she had never shown any interest in boys, what was I supposed to think?" she asked rhetorically.

"There was no need to be so crass about it" her mother reprimanded her again.

"I guess it didn't help with what that prat Weasley said" Astoria spoke up.

"Weasley? What did he say?" Ophelia asked with a frown.

"He's one of Potter's friends and he said that Daphne wouldn't stand a chance with him" she shrugged.

"He is probably right though" Tracey added. "Pretty much everyone in our house has given Potter grief, he has no reason to like any of us" she pointed out.

"You mean Malfoy and the idiots he hangs around with, and the qudditch team" Astoria interjected.

"Yeah well Potter does have a tendency to embarrass them all" Tracey replied. "But Daphne hasn't ever spoken to him apart from yesterday" she mused.

"Doesn't matter, she's still one of us" Astoria shrugged.

"Yes well, I'm going to write to the boy, he might not even respond" Ophelia cut in.

"Yes, Tracey say goodbye to Astoria and Daphne it is time for us to head home" Robert addressed his daughter.

"Ohh if he does reply I want to be there" Tracey requested.

"Yes Tracey" Ophelia replied, shaking her head.

With that she left the room to write a letter to the Potter boy. Never in a million years would she have guessed it was him that had saved her that day.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry went to the drawing for breakfast and was confronted with an annoyed looking Arcturus who just stared at the teen with a penetrating gaze.

"Feel better now?" he questioned neutrally.

"It wasn't about making me feel better" Harry replied taking a seat. "There is nothing that can make me feel better about losing my parents or the fact that Sirius spent 12 years in Azkaban and that I had to grow up with those bastards" he explained. "I did what I did because that's what he deserved. He doesn't deserve to just be handed to the aurors and get a cell in Azkaban away from the war. If I didn't need him to clear Sirius then I would have killed him slowly, because that is what he deserves, no other reason" he finished a little heatedly.

"So it was justice?" the older man questioned.

"Yes, but I won't pretend that I'm not glad that it was me that got to give it to him" Harry replied flatly.

The older man shook his head but he understood his reasoning.

"Just like your Grandfather would have done" he sighed. "Are you planning to hand him over any time soon?" he asked.

"Today" Harry replied after finishing his mouthful of banana.

"Good" Arcturus responded. "The sooner we get him in the sooner the idiot will be free" he explained.

"I'll take him after breakfast" Harry promised.

"Good" the older man responded again. "Did you get anything useful from him?" he asked.

Harry grinned.

"I know why he was there, what he was after and exactly where it is" he informed the man triumphantly.

Arcturus suddenly had a look of relief quickly followed by one of amused anticipation.

"Finally" he said to himself.

 _(BREAK)_

Amelia Bones was sat in her office going through the mountain of paperwork that came with her job. The last 10 months had been nothing but stressful for the head of the DMLE and it was only getting worse.

The evidence that the Dark Lord had returned had been mounting since June to a point she knew that even now it was going to be a disastrous time when it was revealed. The breakout from Azkaban had only added to her stress. Fudge had blamed Sirius Black but Amelia knew otherwise, she knew that You-Know-Who was involved.

She was frustrated by how obvious it was and how Fudge was blatantly ignoring everything she told him. Extortion and reports of attacks had increased tenfold and she simply did not have the manpower to increase patrols or even protect the publicly the way she wanted to. Fudge was a moron and he was going to be responsible for a lot of deaths. If anything, the idiot was making it very easy for the Dark lord and Amelia was powerless to do a thing.

She shook her head in annoyance as she was pulled from her thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Enter" She commanded irritably.

"Madame Bones, there is a young man here to see you" her assistant spoke as she entered.

"Who is it?" She asked in annoyance.

"He didn't say Ma'am but he is insisting on seeing you and you only, he says it is important" the assistant explained.

Amelia sighed.

"Send him in then" she said waving dismissively.

Shortly afterwards a tall and muscular young man entered dressed casually in a white t-shirt and light jeans and boots.

'That's how my aurors should look' the older woman thought, taking in the young mans' athletic appearance.

"How can I help you?" she asked shaking herself from her musings.

Instead of saying a word the young man removed a rat from his pocket and placed it on the desk before taking a seat and folding his arms.

Amelia raised an eyebrow at her guest.

"And what am I supposed to do with a rat?" she asked irritably.

"Oh that is no rat, that is the ticket to my godfather's freedom" was the reply she got with an amused look.

"And who would your godfather be young man?" she asked getting more annoyed by the minute.

"Sirius Black" he replied casually.

Amelia chocked and sputtered but quickly composed herself.

"Potter?" she asked looking at him critically who just nodded the affirmative.

Amelia removed her wand and was about to lock her door when she found herself staring at the tip of a wand mere inches from her face.

"I was just going to lock the door" she explained calmly raising her free hand to placate the boy.

Harry nodded and replaced his wand back in its holster.

Amelia shook her head and locked the door with a flick of her wand.

"Damn your fast" She observed shaking her head again.

"I have to be" Harry replied shrugging.

"Care to explain?" She asked gesturing to the rat still sat limply on her desk.

"Ahh, Madame Bones" Harry began. "Let me introduce you to Peter Pettigrew, the traitorous bastard who betrayed my parents" he finished coldly.

He then removed his wand and flicked it towards the rat. In a matter of moments a short and squat man missing most of his right arm now laid where the rat had been. He had certainly been through the mill and was quite badly beaten, he was covered in various cuts and bruises and the stump of his arm had been cauterized crudely.

"He put up a surprisingly good fight" the boy explained with a shrug.

"Hmm, I'm sure he did" Amelia replied choosing to ignore the condition of the man. "It looks like I have more work to do" she sighed.

"I just want Sirius to get a fair trial, he never had one before and I know he is innocent" Harry explained. "It was the rat who was my parents' secret keeper" he finished.

"Fudge won't allow it if he finds out, you've put me in quite the position Potter" she explained.

"Then we have to be shrewd" Harry responded. "As the head of the DMLE you have the power to call an emergency meeting of the wizengamot I understand" Harry spoke in a questioning tone.

"I do" Amelia answered, seeing where this was going.

"Then you don't tell him and call an emergency meeting with an impromptu trial then he won't be able to intervene" Harry explained. "Sirius is a member of an ancient house and everyone on the wizengamot will have to allow the trial if only to protect their own rights" he finished knowingly.

"That might just work Potter" Amelia conceded thoughtfully. "But it seems that I'm the one sticking my neck out here" she pointed out.

"True" Harry agreed. "If there is anything I can do for you then of course I will" he offered.

Amelia thought for a moment before answering.

"I want you to be there" she requested with a nod. "It will offer your godfather more credibility if you are there supporting him and it will make Fudge look bad" she added with a smirk.

"I can make Fudge look bad if that's what you want. I told him almost two years ago that Sirius was innocent and he ignored me and wouldn't believe me about the rat" Harry explained. "And because of him nothing is being done about Riddle" he stated with a raised eyebrow towards the woman.

"My hands are tied" Amelia replied. "He won't listen and he's ignoring everything" She continued frustrated. "I don't have the funds nor the men to make any difference right now" she finished.

"Then Fudge needs a wake-up call or he needs to go" Harry responded.

"And how would we achieve that?" she questioned the boy.

"I could kill him" Harry replied casually.

"You do realise I could arrest you for saying that" Amelia warned raising her eyebrow at the boy.

"You could but you won't" Harry responded.

Amelia just shook her head.

"Malfoy is the real problem, he's got Fudge firmly wrapped around his finger" she explained.

"Ahh, now Malfoy I can handle" Harry grinned, already formulating a plan in his mind. "It will take a little time but I'm sure it will work" he explained.

"Are you going to share your idea?" Amelia asked.

"The less you know the better Madame Bones" Harry answered. "Plausible deniability and all that" he added with a grin that caused Amelia to shake her head once more.

"Don't make me arrest you Potter" She pleaded "because I will deny everything if you get caught" she warned.

"Funny that that's exactly what I am planning" Harry mused looking a little smug.

"I really don't want to know" Amelia replied clearly flustered by the apparent recklessness the boy was displaying. "I will call the emergency meeting for the day after tomorrow in the morning" She decided aloud. "It gives us a day to get ready, does he have a representative?".

"He will have" Harry answered.

Amelia unlocked the door, opened it and gave some instructions to her assistant.

"I just sent for some aurors to deal with him" she explained pointing to Pettigrew. "Don't worry, I trust these men with my life" she added when she saw Harry was about to protest.

Five minutes later there was a knock on the door and Mad-eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the room. Upon seeing the unconscious form of Pettigrew on the desk and Harry in the room Kingsleys' eyes widened and Moody roared in laughter, leaning heavily on his staff.

"Got him then did you lad?" Moody growled in amusement.

"I didn't know you and Potter were acquainted Alastor" Amelia interjected with a raised eyebrow.

"Aye Amelia, I duelled the lad for his OWL" Moody replied thinking quickly and a little reluctantly.

"That's why you were looking worse than you usually do back in January" Kingsley cut in. "Why didn't you say?".

"Aye we had a good fight" Moody replied. "I was asked to keep my mouth shut about it, it's not anyone's' business the boy was doing his OWLS" he added giving the other auror a stern glare.

Harry took the hint that he was not supposed to know these men and stood to introduce him.

"Hello sir" he said to Kingsley. "I'm Harry Potter" he added extending his hand to the man.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt" the man returned. "You've had us all rather worried Mr Potter" he continued.

"Well as you can see auror Shacklebolt I'm quite alright" Harry answered.

"What happened to his arm?" Moody suddenly cut in.

"Accident" Harry answered casually.

"You said he put up 'quite the fight'" Amelia added staring at the boy.

"Same thing" Harry shrugged.

"Aye got what he deserve if you ask me" Moody surmised.

"You recognise him then?" Amelia asked the heavily scarred man.

"Aye, Pettigrew, apparently killed by Black who was thrown straight in Azkaban without a trial. We were told to keep quiet and that was that" he finished with a shrug.

"I need you two to watch him, he will be going to trial the day after tomorrow" she instructed. "Neither of you are to leave him and you will not speak a word of this to anyone, understood?" she asked firmly.

"Aye Ma'am" Moody replied.

"Yes Ma'am" Kingsley followed.

"Good, I'm relying on you both, now get him out of here" she commanded.

The two men disillusioned the body and carried it between them. They both gave Harry a nod before exiting, leaving the head of the DMLE alone with the teen.

"He will get his trial Potter, make sure you're there" she pressed.

"I will be, I will bring him with me" Harry promised and left quickly to give Arcturus and Sirius the good news.

Harry arrived home and sent Dobby to give Sirius the message to be ready for him to collect. He would use the cloak to get him in knowing it was the best way under the circumstances. He then sent Dobby to Andromeda and Ted to inform them of the development. Their reply stated that they would be ready and would see him there.

Harry made his way to the drawing room after he had finished his correspondence to inform Arcturus of the plan.

"Good" Arcturus replied when Harry told him what had happened. "I will be coming with you" he announced. "I don't trust Fudge and the morons around him to not fuck this up in some way, my title will at least give him some levity" he explained. "And with you getting the last piece of information I need from the rat there is no need for me to be inconspicuous anymore, I've grown weary and bored of the shadows and I feel like kicking a few arses" he finished with a look of cruel amusement.

"It looks like a few people are in for a rude awakening then" Harry intoned.

Arcturus just nodded.

"This came for you earlier" he broke off suddenly handing Harry an envelope.

Harry took the letter and read it with a confused expression. "The girl must have worked out who I am" he said to himself with a frown.

"What girl?" Arcturus asked.

"Oh I helped a girl yesterday and apparently her mother in the alley a few months ago" he explained. "What do you know about the Greengrass family?" he asked the older man.

"Not much" he replied thoughtfully. "Old family and neutral" he added with a shrug. "Why?" he questioned.

"They've invited me for dinner tomorrow" Harry replied.

"It might be worth going" Arcturus advised. "They have a seat on the wizengamot and could be a difference maker if things go tits up" he suggested. "And it doesn't hurt to make connections" he added. "You never know when they could be useful".

Harry nodded.

"It couldn't hurt I guess" Harry responded and penned his reply. He sent it off with Hedwig who was happy to finally have something to do.

With that done Harry spent the rest of his day training and reading, he still had improvements to make and he knew he would need to be at his best soon if he was to put his plan into action.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne awoke, stretched and groaned at the thought of what was happening today; Harry Potter was coming to dinner. She had hoped that he would refuse the invitation sent by her mother but he had surprisingly accepted.

The truth was that Daphne was a little embarrassed about what had happened, even though she hated to admit it to herself. The thing that bothered her about the entire situation was how vulnerable she had made herself appear and that did not sit well with the blonde teen. She had nothing against Potter hell, she had never spoken to the boy but she knew there was no love lost between him and the members of her house.

She had cursed herself repeatedly on her reaction upon waking and finding herself in his arms. She had never looked at a boy and felt that wow factor that she had read about as a little girl; that was until that moment. It made her feel more vulnerable than she ever had and it bothered her that she was not uncomfortable with the feeling, it was the thought of the ease of comfort she felt that made her uncomfortable. But the biggest problem of the entire situation was the fact that the wow factor came to her with a boy who was seemingly unattainable for her, especially if she went by what Weasley had said, another thing that bothered her.

As much as she tried not to, she couldn't help but think of how nice it felt to be in his arms, how nice it was to open her eyes and see that emerald fire and how nice it felt to feel so safe despite the danger that was around her.

She shook her head.

No. She would not allow herself to think about it no matter how much she enjoyed it and wanted to feel it again. She would not allow herself to appear so vulnerable the same way and she would not allow herself to get lost in those desires the way she truly wanted to.

It was going to be a long evening, but she would keep her guard up and not let it falter in front of Harry Potter.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry had spent his day training and was just finishing getting dressed for his dinner appointment with the Greengrass family. He decided to forego the formality of wearing robes and decided to dress in a white, fitted short sleeve shirt, tailored black trousers and some stylish chocolate Chelsea boots. He topped off his look with a black pea-coat keeping his dress smart but fairly casual. He made his way to the drawing room to inform Arcturus that he was leaving and to receive the no doubt last minute advice the man would give.

Upon entering he was given the nod of approval for his outfit and the older man addressed him as expected.

"Remember your manners Potter" he began. "These people have invited you in to their home and you will address them as Lord and Lady Greengrass unless you are told otherwise, understood?" he asked to ensure the teen was listening.

"Yes sir" Harry replied gratefully, knowing he was not well versed in wizard etiquette as well as he should be.

"Good, then be off" Arcturus dismissed the teen.

Harry gave him an amused look.

"You seem keen to get rid of me, you wouldn't happen to have a hot date would you?" he questioned cheekily before disapparating.

Arcturus growled.

"Fucking Potter" he mumbled. "I will curse that insolent little shit" he vowed with a shake of his head.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry appeared in front of a large set of gates as per the instructions of the invitation. The house was very impressive; it was a massive Victorian style building that one would read about if they cared to browse classical literature. It was set on a slight hill and was made from brick with heavy timber beams placed intravenously throughout the architecture. The lawns were well kept and the entire property was surrounded by high railings that matched the black and gold gate. It was then that Harry realised he was dealing with a family of class and suddenly felt a little underdressed. There was nothing he could do now knowing that it would be much more rude to be late than dressed the way he was.

He made his way to the door and composed himself, it was important for him to show his independence and strength but to be respectful and not intimidating. It was a delicate balance that had been explained to him by Arcturus; he had to be strong but not come across as though he felt he was better than them, they should be treated as an equal.

He knocked on the door and waited to be admitted.

The door opened to reveal a young looking house-elf that was dressed in a very clean, white apron with the family crest stitched lovingly into the front of the garment.

"Master Harry Potter sir" the elf greeted him. "Please follow me and I will takes you to my Master and Mistress" the elf instructed.

"Thank you…"

"Tilly sir" the elf responded blushing a little.

"Thank you Tilly" Harry said with a smile. "Please lead the way".

The elf led him through the beautifully decorated entrance hall that was largely neutral colours. The thing that set it apart from most other houses was the amount of family portraits and photos that were on the walls.

They eventually came to a dining room and Harry was taken aback by the number of people waiting for him, he had expected 4 but there were seven.

"Mr Potter.. It is Mr potter isn't it?" a tall and mousey haired man addressed Harry. "Welcome to our home" he said approaching with his hand extended.

"Technically it is Lord Potter, but please call me Harry" the teen insisted. "And thank you for your invitation Lord Greengrass it is much appreciated" he replied and shook the mans' hand firmly.

"Well you are very welcome Harry, let me introduce you to the rest of the people here" he said leading Harry to the assembled group. "This" he explained indicating to the other man in the room, "is Lord Robert Davis and his wife Lady Susan Davis" he finished.

Harry shook the mans' hand gave the lady a bow and a gentle kiss on the back the hand as was custom.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both" he intoned.

"The pleasure is ours Lord Potter" the man replied with a warm smile which Harry returned.

"And this" Lord Greengrass cut in. "is my wife, whom you have already met I believe" he finished with a raised eyebrow.

Harry recognised the woman immediately and took her hand and brushed his lips across the back of her knuckles.

"It is nice to meet you in much more pleasant circumstances my lady" Harry greeted her with a bow.

"Likewise Lord Potter" Ophelia replied with a smile and a slight curtsey.

"And finally the three young ladies here are my daughters Daphne and Astoria" he introduced, gesturing to the two blonde girls who looked very much like their mother. "And Tracey the daughter of Lord and Lady Davis" he finished indicating the final girl who had brown hair and seemed to take more after her father in looks.

"Ladies" Harry acknowledged with a bow.

"Lord Potter" they replied in unison with a curtsey of their own.

"Ok now that is strange for me, Please call me Harry or Potter if you prefer" he requested to the group.

Jonathan laughed.

"Of course Harry, Tilly would please take Harrys' coat" he asked of the elf.

Harry removed his coat, folded it and handed it to the elf.

"Thank you Tilly" he said looking her in the eye causing the elf to blush again.

"Please have a seat" Jonathan offered to which Harry accepted the indicated chair.

The group sat in silence before it was broken by Ophelia.

"I just wanted to thank you Harry for helping me and Daphne the way you did" she spke to the teen genuinely.

"You're welcome" he replied. "I was just in the right place at the right time" he explained. "You haven't had any more trouble have you?" he asked. "I have been keeping an eye on the alley but I can't be there all the time" he added.

"Well there are very few who would intervene, almost anyone else would turn a blind eye, so I am truly grateful" she responded with another warm smile. "And no there hasn't been any other problems thankfully" she finished.

"Yes I would like to thank you also Harry, if it wasn't for you then I may have lost my wife and my daughter" Jonathan added with a look of concern.

"I just did the right thing sir" Harry reiterated.

"Well then I'm grateful that you were there to do it aren't we Daphne?" he said shooting his eldest daughter a look.

"Yes, thank you Potter" the girl replied somewhat coolly.

It was then that Tilly brought in the first course of dinner and the group ate their soup in silence for a minute until Susan Davis broke the silence.

"I must say Harry you are, er, very developed for a fifteen year old" she pointed out.

"Mum" Tracey gasped horrified by her Mother's comment.

Harry just laughed.

"I had my magical maturity last year" he explained casually " and I train a lot" he added.

"Really, already?" Ophelia asked with raised eyebrows. "How long did it last?" she questioned further.

"Now dear, that is a very personal question to ask a young man" Jonathan chided.

"It's ok sir" Harry replied chuckling. "It lasted 11 days" he informed the lady.

He was suddenly startled by the sound of several spoons clattering against bowls as the adult occupants at the table dropped the cutlery they were holding.

"11 days?" Jonathan choked.

"What's the big deal?" Tracey asked unsubtly.

"The average wizard goes through their maturity between 17 and 21 years old" Jonathan explained. "And it usually last between 3-5 days, the fact that Harry has already had his and it lasted that long makes him quite the exceptional wizard" he concluded.

"His patronus is definitely impressive" Astoria piped in.

"And the bludgeoner he hit the Death Eater in the shop with was very powerful" Ophelia added. "And the magic he used afterwards too" she continued with a frown. "Where does a fifteen year old learn such things?" she asked Harry.

"Out of necessity mostly" Harry answered a little dismissively.

Ophelia took the hint and changed the subject.

"What about your wand, that was the only thing I remembered about you because you certainly didn't look like you do now" she said. "You're not wearing a disguise now are you?" she questioned.

Harry chuckled.

"No it would be quite rude to wear a glamour now" he replied. "And my wands" he said flicking the one in his wrist holster in to his hand and summoning the other to his left hand, "are quite unique" he pointed out with a frown.

"Two wands?" She questioned. "May I?" Ophelia asked holding out her hand.

Harry nodded and handed her one of the wands keeping hold of the other firmly.

"A back up is definitely useful" Harry said.

"It is beautiful" she said appraisingly. "What is it made from?" she asked.

"White ash and Obsidian" Harry explained indicating the two separate elements.

"What about the core?" she questioned further.

The teens at the table were paying rapt attention waiting for the answer.

"Hungarian Horntail Heartstring and Golden Griffin claw" Harry answered.

"Typical" Daphne mumbled.

"Basilisk venom and phoenix tears" he added ignoring the girl.

Jonathan let out a long, low whistle.

"That's quite a combination" he intoned. "I'm guessing that's why the wood and the crystal are fused like that" he observed questioningly.

Harry just nodded in reply.

"Does it have basilisk venom because you killed one?" Astoria piped up.

"Who told you that?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Granger and Weasley" the girl replied with a shrug

"I didn't know you were friends" Harry replied with a frown. "It looks like I'll have to have a word with them when I see them about keeping their mouths shut" he added clearly annoyed by his friends.

"Wait a minute, killed a basilisk?" Ophelia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup, in our second year" Tracey cut in. "Someone opened the chamber of secrets and Potter went in and killed it with a sword" she told the adults who blanched.

"Surely that's not true Harry" Susan stated to which Harry sighed.

"I'm afraid it is" he replied. "But they shouldn't have told you that" he added looking at Tracey. "And the reason I have the venom in my wand is because it bit me and I have the venom in my blood" he explained to Astoria.

"But you would be dead" Jonathan pointed out knowingly.

"It was healed by a phoenix, hence the phoenix tears" Harry responded.

"You are quite the marvel" Ophelia acknowledged handing Harry back his wand which he immediately replaced.

"I have heard that a few times" Harry replied with a chuckle.

Tilly brought in the second course of the meal and the table was quiet again while the occupants ate.

"May I ask you something Harry?" Ophelia asked.

"Of course" Harry responded.

"You said that there is always some truth in rumours that day in the shop, does that mean he is really back?" she asked a little nervously.

Harry noticed that everyone was watching him waiting to hear his reply.

"He is" he answered simply.

"How?" Jonathan asked curiously.

"I know how but it is not something that should be discussed at dinner" Harry advised. "It is very disgusting and a very dark and very rare type of magic" he explained.

The group heeded the warning that the teen gave and carried on eating.

"Why didn't you come back to school?" Tracey asked. "What have you been doing all year?" she questioned further.

Harry looked at her calculatingly for a moment before he answered.

"The night I was kidnapped he thought he killed me and he still thinks I'm dead" Harry explained. "And I have been training mostly and hunting" he added.

"Then why are you here?" Daphne asked irritably.

"Well after tomorrow I won't be hiding anymore" Harry replied.

"Why tomorrow?" Tracey asked.

"Because I will be at the wizengamot meeting in the morning making sure my godfather is set free and no doubt Lucius Malfoy and the rest of his cronies will be there and will go running to tell his master" Harry responded.

"But there isn't a meeting tomorrow" Jonathan pointed out looking confused.

"An emergency one will be called" Harry assured him.

"And what do you mean your godfather?" Robert cut in.

"Sirius Black" Tracey whispered.

"They told you that too?" Harry asked to which Tracey nodded.

"Sirius Black is your Godfather?" Susan questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Yes and he is innocent" Harry retorted firmly. "Peter Pettigrew is the one who was my parent's secret keeper and he is the one who helped bring him back" he added.

The adults were shocked at what they had just heard.

"That's what you meant by hunting, you were looking for Pettigrew" Ophelia cut in knowingly.

"I caught up with him eventually" Harry explained. "He is now currently sat waiting to be brought to trial tomorrow, that will be quite the shock to Malfoy and his master" he added with a dark chuckle.

"The rat" Astoria interjected. "That's why you were at the village" she stated.

"You're right" Harry confirmed with a nod.

"What are you going to do about You-Know-Who?" Tracey asked. "Surely you could just run away if he thinks you're dead" she pointed out.

"I'm going to kill him" Harry answered darkly his eyes lighting in a gentle fury. "I'm not going to run from him, he killed my parents and my grandfather" he growled.

"You can't be serious" Ophelia stated. "Regardless of how grown up you look you are just a child" she said trying to appeal to the young mans' sense of self preservation.

"I've never been a child, he took that away from me" Harry returned quietly.

"The muggles" Astoria chimed in knowingly.

"Do you know everything?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Pretty much" the girl replied with a grin.

"What does she mean the muggles?" Jonathan questioned.

"Harry was raised by his aunt and uncle and they were horrible to him" Astoria answered.

"And lets leave it at that" Harry interjected silently cursing his friends.

"You said he killed your grandfather?" Robert stated questioningly.

"Yeah he attacked him in the middle of the night and caught him with a curse that killed him slowly, but my grandfather kicked his arse and sent him running" Harry explained with a grin.

"I didn't know that" the other man replied. "In fact I don't know much about your family at all" he added.

"What do you know?" Harry asked curiously.

"Your Grandfather was a Baron and he killed giants" Astoria piped up with a smirk.

"That's general knowledge. The Potters have always been a reserved family and very private" Jonathan explained.

"That's what Granger said" Astoria grumbled irritably.

"Well my family are famous for their fighting skills" Harry began. "And fighting for people who can't fight and sticking up for people in need" He explained giving Ophelia a look. "My family motto is: Honour Thy Blood" he continued. "It means carrying on the family tradition of standing against tyranny and doing the right thing, fighting the fights for the people who need help". "I'm still learning about them but that is the gist of it" he finished with a shrug.

"So you're going to fight You-Know-Who because that's what is expected of you?" Daphne asked disbelievingly.

"No" Harry replied. "I'm going to fight him because I can't live my life knowing he is out there, tearing families apart the way he did to mine" he explained.

"Then you're an idiot and you're going to get yourself killed" Daphne replied shaking her head.

"I didn't know you cared so much" Harry retorted.

"Like I care what you do" Daphne returned heatedly.

"Daphne" her mother hissed warningly to the girl.

"Well obviously he's going to get himself killed isn't he?" she asked as though it was an obvious conclusion.

"I should already be dead" Harry mumbled bitterly.

"What was that?" Jonathan asked.

Harry sighed.

"What do you know about the night I was kidnapped?" he questioned.

"Nothing much, just that Diggory got killed" Tracey shrugged.

"Well when I explain what happened you'll understand" Harry sighed.

He then went on to explain everything that happened that night and actually found it to be therapeutic. The only detail he left out was the fact that it was Arcturus who rescued him. By the time he was finished the females at the table were crying except Daphne who refused to let her guard down and the men were looking horrified.

"You got hit with another killing curse?" Jonathan asked incredulously.

"Yeah I'm guessing that's what started my magical maturity early, my body and magic need to be ready" he said with a shrug.

"And he really tortured you?" Astoria asked to which Harry just nodded.

"And you still want to fight him?" Ophelia asked disbelievingly.

"I have to" Harry replied. "Who else do you know that will?" he asked.

"What about Dumbledore?" Tracey asked.

"He's too old" Harry responded. "You saw how he struggled with the Dementors" he pointed out.

"So the Gryffindor golden boy has to save the day as usual" Daphne cut in in an annoyed tone.

"I didn't hear you complaining the other day" Harry retorted.

"Well I didn't ask you for your help" Daphne responded hotly.

"Because you were unconscious" Harry pointed out. "Would you rather that I left you to the Dementor" he asked.

"Yes, then I wouldn't have to live with the shame of being rescued by" She shouted and stormed from the room to the shock of the other occupants.

"I'm sorry for my daughters behaviour" Jonathan apologised to Harry. "I don't know what came over her" he added.

"It's ok" Harry assured the man.

"It's because she's embarrassed about what she said the other day" Astoria chimed in. " About you having beautiful eyes" she explained seeing Harry looking confused.

"Ahh" Harry said. "Then I should apologise, I didn't exactly help the situation" he pointed out.

"No harm done Harry, she will get over it" Ophelia said shooting a worried look at the door her daughter just left through.

"I guess I should go, I will be having an early start in the morning" Harry explained. "I'm sure I will see you both there" he said to the two men who nodded.

"I wouldn't miss it" Jonathan replied.

"Thank you for inviting me and it really was nice to meet you all properly" Harry spoke while putting his coat on that Tilly had just handed him.

"And you too Harry, see you in the morning" Jonathan replied shaking the young mans' hand.

After a chorus of farewells Harry made his way out of the house and apparated home, tomorrow was going to be a long day.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne left the room feeling furious, furious at herself. She had been doing so well. She managed to keep her guard up even when Potter smiled at her and she wanted to smile back, she managed to keep control.

She entered her room and threw herself on to her bed and buried her head in to the pillow and began to sob uncontrollably but she couldn't figure out why. She wasn't sure if it was because she was so angry or the effort to keep herself from crying when Potter explained what had happened that night had finally caught up to her. It had taken all of her willpower not to cry as the others had at what the boy had gone through to the point that it actually made her heart ache. She was mad at him for making her feel that way and was mad at him for thinking that it was him that had to fight the dark lord. A part of her wanted to hit the prat for thinking that way and the other part just wanted to grab him and comfort him the way he had her after the attack. No, she shook her head. She just wanted to hit him for being a prat.

The teen was experiencing a maelstrom of emotions that she had never felt before and it confused her. She was upset, angry and confused all at the same time. She had tried to convince herself that the feeling she had the other day for the boy had all been because of the situation but the moment she saw him this evening she had a desire to be held in those arms again, a feeling that she quickly fought down. Try as she might she couldn't help but look at the boy and imagine the things she promised she wouldn't dwell on and it had finally gotten too much for her to the point that it frustrated and angered her to the point that she lashed out, hoping that it would make her feel better if she angered him the way she that she felt angry.

What is so great about Harry Potter anyway?

He is handsome and caring. He is selfless and he gave her that feeling of safety and comfort without even having to try. He gave her that immediate feeling that left her awestruck and warm throughout her entire being.

She shook her head again.

No. She could not have those feelings for him, it could never work, could it? No it couldn't, he would never look twice at a snake.

Daphne resigned herself to the fact that she would just have to ignore what she felt for the boy, it just wasn't to be. He was Harry Potter, Gryffindor golden boy and he planned on fighting the dark lord.

She was Daphne Greengrass, Slytherin. Someone who Harry Potter would never look twice at.

Daphne Greengrass tried to be logical in her approach but even logic made no sense. All she knew for sure was that the boy infuriated her yet, she wanted him to hold her in his arms, even if it was just for one more minute just so that she could feel that warmth and comfort again and savour it, imprint it into her very soul so that she could remember it for the rest of her life.

 **A/N**

 **Sirius' trial is up next and a few people are going to be getting a real arse kicking. I didn't reveal Harrys' OWL results here because they will play a part a little later in the story, I didn't forget. Who's looking forward to Arcturus and Harry finally coming out in the open? The dinner with the Greengrass family was particularly difficult to write and the interactions between Harry and Daphne were not easy but it does all have a purpose as you will see. Please, follow, favourite and review**

 **TBR**


	10. Return of the Black

**A/N**

 **Here we goooo….**

Chapter 10: Return of the Black

Today was the day that Harry had been waiting for for almost 2 years, the day that he would be able to see his godfather as a free man, if nothing untoward was to happen to prevent it. He was nervous, that he would freely admit. He knew nothing was assured in the wizarding world but he would do everything he could to ensure the wrongfully accused man was clear so that he could live the life he had been robbed of for the last fourteen years.

He knew that he and Arcturus were going to make waves in the community today but he did not care about what people thought. In his eyes he was doing the right thing and he would happily sacrifice his popularity and the public opinion of him to succeed in what he needed to do. He also hoped that with he and Arcturus making a public appearance, that the trial of his godfather would not be seen as such a big deal.

Harry was sat opposite the older man as he always did while they ate and he could see that the man was excited. His eyes were alight with that excitement and anticipation and Harry was sure he was planning something that would be both grand and memorable. The only time Harry saw the older Black in such a good mood was when he had or was about to really give someone a good dressing down. He knew that the man was going to be in his element today with so many potential 'morons' to insult and subdue in one room.

Harry shook his head at the thought; today was going to be very entertaining at the very least.

"Are you ready Potter?" the older man suddenly asked, the glee evident in his voice.

Harry nodded at him and smirked.

"You look like a kid a Christmas" he pointed out.

"Ohh this is going to be the most fun I've had in years" he replied with a smirk of his own. "It's about time someone slapped the dust of those stagnant old puppets and piss in the face of the bastards that are pulling the strings" he explained.

"And that's your plan?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes" Arcturus answered simply. "It was never a good session unless I'd upset the establishment and I have 15 years of it to catch up on. Some of those shits have gotten way too big for their boots without a good kick up the arse to keep them in line, by the time I'm finished with them they will be queuing up to either kiss my arse or have me killed" he finished.

"Probably the latter" Harry mumbled ruefully.

"With what I'm planning there will be some wet and brown trousers that I can promise" Arcturus replied cryptically. "Remember your glamour and don't sit near me" he added.

"Why?" Harry asked puzzled.

"Dramatic affect Potter, as soon as you announce yourself Fudge will start blowing hot air" He said knowingly. "Just wait and see" he advised shaking his head.

Harry released a deep burst of air but nodded. He knew there would be no changing his mind when it was made up so he would just have to play along. Also he was much more well-versed in politics so it was definitely in Harry's favour to listen to the man.

"It's time to get that idiot grandson of mine" the older man announced. "Put him under that cloak and make sure he keeps his stupid head down Potter, for fuck sake, do not let him piss this away" he finished sternly.

"I'll keep him in line" Harry promised.

"Good, if not the Potter line ends with you boy" Arcturus warned. "And Potter?" he asked making sure he had his attention. "Don't take any shit from any of them, Charlus didn't, and you shouldn't either, you are a Potter, don't forget it" he reminded him firmly.

Harry gulped and nodded, he knew the man was not joking.

Harry collected everything he would need and apparated to collect his godfather feeling more and more nervous about the day ahead.

 _(BREAK)_

If Harry was nervous then it was nothing compared to what Sirius Black was feeling, he knew that today he would be either a free man or once again a resident of Azkaban. That thought alone terrified him; not that he couldn't survive it again. What terrified him the most was the thought of Harry being left alone to face what was coming, a thought that had haunted Sirius since Harry had informed him that he had handed the rat over. So many things could go wrong today and Sirius prayed to every deity he knew of to favour him.

He was shaken from his thoughts by the arrival of his godson who he immediately clung to in a sense of desperation.

"We don't have to do this pup" he rambled. "We can just leave things as they are then at least I can still be here when you need me" he added almost pleadingly.

Harry smiled at his godfather and could understand his frantic demeanour.

"Calm down Padfoot" he intoned. "If things go wrong I will personally come and break you out of Azkaban" he promised causing the animagus to return a weak smile. "Just have faith in the old man, he wouldn't let this happen if he wasn't sure about it" Harry explained.

"I know, it's just hard Harry" Sirius responded with a swallow. "It's been fourteen years and I may as well have had no life. I lost you and everything else I cared about, after today I might just have a chance to have something of a life again" he finished.

Harry placed a hand on his godfather's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I know life has been cruel to you but after today we will make up for it I promise" Harry spoke confidently.

The confidence his godson was showing calmed the man considerably and he knew the teen would not steer him wrong. Sirius looked at the boy and couldn't be prouder of the man he was becoming.

"Thank you Harry" he said sincerely. "I'm not sure what I would do without you" he added.

"Neither would I Padfoot" Harry returned the sentiment. "Now shall we go and claim your freedom you mongrel?" he asked with a smirk.

Sirius looked affronted.

"I will have you know that I, Sirius Orion Black, am a dog of the finest breeding" he replied morphing into the black behemoth and posing regally.

Harry shook his head. It was moments like this that he was beginning to truly appreciate and after today, he was looking forward to many more like it.

 _(BREAK)_

After having made it through the check point Harry and Sirius were making their way to the chambers in which the wizengamot meeting would be taking place. Harry spotted Amelia Bones scanning the passers-by clearly looking for someone. He managed to catch her eye and give her a nod to which she gestured for him to join her in a room to her right.

"Potter, I assume" she stated as he closed the door behind himself and his godfather.

At his nod she continued.

"Ok I managed to tip-off every major publication in the country to ensure that Fudge can't simply sweep this under the rug" she explained. "He will immediately know that something is going on but by then it will be too late" she added with a grin.

"Good thinking" Harry praised her, not having considered that option. "There is something you should be aware of though Madame Bones" Harry informed her.

"What's that Potter?" she asked with a warning tone.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise I just want you to be prepared for anything" he replied cryptically, having had seconds thoughts about filling her in on all the details.

"I don't like the sound of that" she muttered shaking her head.

"Oh, it's a good thing for us, it is certainly going to create some fireworks though so just be prepared" he responded with a smirk.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to have to arrest you one day?" she asked ruefully. "Did you bring him?" she added.

"He's right here" Harry stated gesturing to the space next to him.

Sirius removed the cloak from his head to show that he was present.

"Good" she replied. "Keep hidden until Pettigrew is declared guilty, I have several aurors in the crowd to make sure nothing happens and Potter?" she said turning back to face Harry. "Stay vigilant, I wouldn't put it past some of those in there to take a shot at you or him" She finished nodding towards the animagus.

"I would welcome the attempt" Harry challenged sincerely.

Amelia shook her head.

"I'm sure you would, now, there is one other request I have" she said looking very serious.

"And that is?" Harry questioned.

"Do not mention the dark lord" She instructed firmly. "Today is about setting him free everything else will have to wait, we don't want to give them any reason to discredit you, we want to get in and out as soon as possible, this is going to cause a big enough stir" she warned.

Harry nodded.

"You're right, I have a plan in motion for that anyway where the proof will be irrefutable" he replied knowingly.

"Good, now go and get a seat it will be starting soon" she informed the pair.

Harry and Sirius entered the chamber to see that almost every seat in the room was full. He caught the eye of Jonathan Greengrass who sat in the section of the older families and gave him a wink. The man realised who it was after moment and shook his head while grinning in recognition.

He managed to find a couple of seats around mid-way up the public gallery and decided to simply wait until the festivities started. He noticed Dumbledore staring at him at him from the chief warlock position and gave him a nod. The old man's eyebrows almost disappeared as he realised who the unfamiliar young man was and his eyes twinkled in anticipation, evidently, he had not been told about the rat yet.

Harry looked on as Cornelius Fudge made his entrance surrounded by his usual cohorts including, to Harry's delight, Lucius Malfoy who strutted along next to the minister. Fudge paused when he realised how full the room was but managed to hide his shock fairly well and proceeded to take his seat next to Dumbledore with Malfoy situated on his right.

When the man was seated Dumbledore banged his gavel several times to silence to room.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we have been requested to join here today by Lady Amelia Bones, Head of the department of magical law enforcement to discuss a matter of a grave injustice" he explained. "Madame Bones, the floor is yours" Dumbledore informed her.

"Thank you Chief Warlock" She said inclining her head towards the older wizard. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I hold in my hand here an arrest and conviction record that makes for some very interesting reading, and had it not been brought to my attention it is something I would never have looked at believing as you all do that the man in question is guilty of everything that said record pertains to" she began. "I would like to read some of this record to you and beg that you have patience and indulge me" she requested.

There was a little bit of murmuring amongst the crowd who clearly thought they were having their time wasted on such a small matter but they allowed the head of the DMLE continue.

"It begins in June 1977 with a charge of public indecency" She began again. "The man in which this record refers to had gotten intoxicated after his Hogwarts graduation and exposed himself to a group of passing witches in Diagon Alley stating that;", "My wand is superior to any you will come across". She paused to allow the small pockets of laughter in the room to pass. "Said man then proceeded to vomit on one of the witches and proclaim that 'she was now fit for any ball as she wore the contents of the finest stomach in all the land" she finished shaking her head.

There was some more laughter in the room and Harry could feel his godfather shaking in his efforts to control himself under the cloak next to him. Harry just face-palmed and waited for the moment to pass.

"The man was ordered to pay a 100 galleon fine and make a formal apology to the woman in question" Amelia continued after the laughter had subsided. "There are a few more less serious incidents involving the same man and each time he was arrested and ordered to pay fines and one bout of community service, all recorded in this file" she explained waving the documents. "So I believe it would be fair to deem him a casual nuisance at best, agreed?" she questioned the gathered people.

There was a mumble of agreement from the members of the wizengamot and Amelia continued.

"When we reach the year of 1981 things take a sudden turn for the worse" she continued gravely. "The arrest record dated November 2nd of that year is far more serious; 14 counts of murder" she explained. "I am of course referring to the criminal record of one Sirius Orion Black" she finished.

The uproar in the room was spectacular and it took several minutes for the room to calm down.

"What is the meaning of this Amelia?" Fudge shouted turning red in either rage or embarrassment.

"Well that is where the record ends" the witch explained. "There is an arrest record but there is no transcript of a trial nor is there any documentation of a sentence" she added.

"His sentence is life in Azkaban" Fudge replied in rage. "He is guilty, there is no doubt about it" he said warningly and with a hint of threat in his tone.

"Well I looked into the matter" Amelia continued, "and there was no trial and Sirius Black was never convicted in a court of law" she informed the room.

"Well that is easily fixed, I will sentence and convict him now" Fudge replied as though the matter was now dealt with.

"Actually Cornelius you won't" Amelia retorted.

"And why is that Madame Bones?" Fudge asked using her job title purposely. "I am the minister of magic and I feel that it is within my power to do so" he said smugly.

"And I am the head of the DMLE, it is part of my job to ensure trials are completed and sentences are befitting of the crime committed" She responded. "And the reason you will not sentence Sirius Black, is because new evidence has been brought forward that in fact clears his name" she added just as smugly.

Again there was an uproar in the room as many men and women shouted what they thought of that piece of information.

"The case is 14 years old Amelia, what new evidence could there possibly be?" Fudge questioned, clearly becoming flustered.

"A new suspect" Amelia answered simply.

"Impossible" Fudge retorted to which Amelia raised her eyebrows.

"Bring him in" She shouted towards the door of the chambers.

The door opened to admit Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-eye Moody dragging Pettigrew between them into the room.

Harry saw Malfoy blanch and several other people in the room shift uncomfortably, he made sure to take note of them.

The two aurors placed and bound the man to the chair that was already set up in the centre of the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Peter Pettigrew" Amelia introduced the squat man.

Again there were many shouts of outrage and it took a canon-like blast from Dumbledore's wand to silence them.

"Peter Pettigrew is a national hero" Fudge shouted at the head of the DMLE. "He is the reason we captured Black" he added. "I do not know who this man is but you have crossed the line" he finished with a roar pointing a shaking and accusing finger at the witch.

"This is the man stated, it has been verified by several sources" she explained ignoring the minister.

"Then why is he in your custody?" he asked. "Surely we as a nation should be celebrating the return of a hero and yet you have him bound like a common criminal" he countered but was clearly looking nervous.

"He is in my custody as he was apprehended by a member of the public who recognised him and knows for a fact that he is guilty of not only murdering the muggles that Sirius Black is accused of, but also selling out the Potters to You-know-who that led to said murders." Amelia explained sounding a little smug.

Fudge was clearly getting flustered, especially at the reference to Voldemort.

"And what evidence do you have to prove this?" he questioned.

"For starters" Amelia began. "We have questioned Pettigrew under veritaserum and he had some very interesting things to say" she continued. "And" she continued further walking towards a very shaky Pettigrew, "there is this" she said pulling up the left sleeve and revealing the dark mark on the man's forearm.

There was a gasp within the room as the offending tattoo was revealed. It was clear to see that Fudge was thinking hard. Admitting that Sirius was innocent would put his political standing in a very precarious position especially as the gathered witches and wizards were from predominantly old families who would not take kindly to one of their own being persecuted wrongly to such an extent, despite personal feelings towards the man.

"The mark means nothing" he responded angrily. "Some of the most prominent members of the community have been marred with its ugliness unwillingly, it being given to them under the Imperius curse" he concluded with a nod.

"That may be so Cornelius" Amelia retorted sceptically, "but you cannot break the Fidelius Charm unwillingly even if you are placed under an Imperius or even given veritaserum" she explained knowingly. "The fact of the matter is that Peter Pettigrew is guilty, why else would he hide for all these years?" she asked the room in general.

"Perhaps he was scared" Fudge tried.

"Of what exactly?" Amelia replied with a raised eyebrow. "Sirius Black was in Azkaban and he was hailed a hero, what possible reason would he have to spend the best part of the last 14 years hiding in his animagus form?" She questioned.

"Now see here Amelia, Peter Pettigrew is not an animagus" Fudge responded triumphantly. "He is not on the register and none have been registered in almost 40 years" he concluded confidently. "Now if you cannot offer me any other evidence besides a mark that means nothing and your own speculation then we will end this farce" he said with a sharp nod.

Amelia stared at the man and couldn't believe he would think she would allow it to rest so easily.

"Come off it Cornelius you know as well as I do that there are hundreds of unregistered animagi out there" She pointed out. "And I will happily administer veritaserum to him again to prove to everyone here that what I have said is true" she replied.

Lucius Malfoy leaned in to Fudge and whispered in his ear which caused the man to nod vigorously and grin victoriously.

"Veritaserum can only be used if it can be assured that the man is in his correct frame of mind and has not been subject to mind altering spells" he replied. "And I am confident that if what you have said is true, that this man has spent more than a decade in an animagus form, then he is in no mental condition to be held accountable under the potion, and add to the matter that he was brought in by a member of the public, as you say, we cannot guarantee that his mind has not been altered unduly to corroborate what you claim" he responded. "So it is in the interest of our community that I do not allow you to proceed and all dealings pertaining to Mr Pettigrew today will be stricken from the record and the media present will not be allowed to publish or speak of anything witnessed here this morning, vows of silence will be taken on the matter before anyone leaves" he concluded with a smirk.

Harry had seen enough of the ministers antics and with a wave of his hand across his face he dispelled his glamour and stood.

"I don't think so Fudge" he spoke loudly but controlled in his emotion.

The minister looked towards the young man and frowned.

"And what concern of this is yours?" he asked irritably.

"It was I who apprehended and brought him in" Harry replied.

"And who might you be?" Fudge asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Lord Harry James Potter" the teen replied neutrally.

A heavy silence fell across the room as the identity of the young man sank in. Many sat with mouths wide open and some looked as though they had been slapped.

Harry revelled in the shock on the face of Lucius Malfoy and he took a moment to glare at the now even more pale man.

It was those eyes that had Lucius in such a state, he remembered that emerald fire that made him very uncomfortable then, but now it sent a shiver through every fibre of his being.

Fudge took a minute to compose himself but when he did he was back in full political mode.

"Well, Mr Potter it is nice of you to come out of the woodwork" he intoned insincerely. "We have been looking for you for some time and have been very concerned for your welfare" he continued. "But you must know that as an underage wizard you are not allowed within these chambers" he explained with a grin. "Therefore I will have to ask you kindly to go with the aurors who will accompany you to my office and when this meeting is concluded we will be having you placed under ministry care as it seems your current guardians are clearly not fit to care for a child" he concluded.

"Actually Cornelius" Dumbledore cut in. "Lord Potter is able to be within these chambers with his guardians permission ad as you so accurately determined, Lord Potters guardians were not suitable so as chief warlock and as Harry's headmaster I had his care transferred to a much more suitable guardian" he explained with his eyes twinkling merrily.

"I will be the judge of appropriate guardians" Fudge replied annoyed. "I am sure I could find a suitable family in which Potter can reside for the foreseeable future" he said shooting a glance towards Malfoy that Harry did not miss.

"I would be very happy to reside with Mr Malfoy, if he would be so kind to offer his hospitality" Harry broke in with a malicious grin to which Malfoy blanched at.

"There is no need Lord Potter" Dumbledore said dismissively. "I have taken it upon myself to have you placed under my care, I couldn't think of anyone more appropriate than the chief warlock of the wizengamot" he explained. "And I am sure there will be no disagreements here" he spoke again, addressing the room to which no one objected to the old man's conclusion.

Fudge looked nothing short of flustered and was clearly thinking hard. His thoughts were interrupted by Dumbledore.

"As Lord Potters current guardian, for however long that may be, he has both my permission and full support in this matter" he allowed, again addressing the room.

Malfoy snapped out of his shock and began whispering to the minister again with urgency.

"Well Potter, I have just been informed that veritaserum would not be appropriate for you" he began. "It seems that you have a high resistance to the Imperius curse, as demonstrated by yourself in your fourth year at Hogwarts" he elaborated. "That means there is a distinct possibility that you can fight off the effects of the potion, therefore your input is denied" he finished gleefully.

"It is Lord Potter Fudge" Harry retorted standing his ground. "And yes Lucius Malfoy would be aware of my resistance to the Imperius curse wouldn't you?" he questioned the blonde. "What is wrong Malfoy? You look as though you have seen a ghost" he continued with glare at the man. "And I won't allow you to sweep this under the carpet again minister" he explained. "I told you about Pettigrew two years ago and you ignored me then, but not this time" he said shaking his head. "I may not be able to be questioned under veritaserum, but I can give an oath which I am sure will be sufficient for all of those present" he finished looking around the room.

"I for one would be very interested in what Lord Potter has to say" Augusta Longbottom announced standing to be acknowledged.

Harry nodded at the witch in recognition and gratitude.

"As would I" Jonathan Greengrass interjected.

Fudge again looked flustered and turned towards Malfoy who was looking defeated.

"I will not allow it" Fudge roared slamming his fist on the table.

"Yes you will Fudge" Harry replied calmly. "My godfather has spent 12 years in Azkaban because of ministry incompetence while the man responsible for the death of my parents has been allowed to roam free" he continued. "If there are no other objections then you have no choice but to allow it, but answer me this" he added. "Why would I lie about this? Why would I be here speaking on behalf of Sirius Black if he was the reason my parents were murdered?" Harry questioned gravely.

"Clearly someone has addled your brains" Fudge retorted.

"You were just informed of my resistance to the Imperius curse, if you believe someone has messed with my mind then it would be weak enough to be completely under the influence of the potion so then we can proceed with that avenue" Harry responded. "Or you can let me give an oath and we do it that way, it is your choice minister" Harry replied triumphantly.

There was silence for several minutes as Fudge blustered and clearly tried to counter the young man.

"Excellent" Amelia cut in after more than an appropriate amount of time had passed. "If you would care to come down, Lord Potter" she requested.

Harry approached to where Amelia indicated and waited for her to proceed.

"If you would give an oath that you will tell the truth and answer all questions honestly regarding the events in question then we may proceed" She explained.

Harry gave the oath and when everyone in the room was happy that it was given satisfactorily Amelia continued.

"Lord Potter, can you give, in your own words, your account of what you know to be factual in regards to what has been discussed today" she requested.

Harry went on to explain the events of third year and the conclusion in which Pettigrew was discovered and admitted his guilt. He then went on to explain that Pettigrew escaped and Fudge dismissed the claims of Himself, Ron and Hermione.

"So to the best of your knowledge Sirius Black is indeed innocent of the crimes he has been accused of?" Amelia questioned when Harry had finished his version of events.

"He is" he replied.

"Are there any doubts to Lord Potter's account?" she asked the room.

"I do not doubt Lord Potters account" Lord Abbott cut in. "But it is not irrefutable, I for one need more evidence and I think a trial for Sirius Black is necessary to eliminate any other doubts" he explained.

"I think you are right Lord Abbott" Amelia replied, surprising many in the room. "Mr Black? If you don't mind" she requested.

To the shock of the room Sirius Black appeared where Harry had and made his way to where his godson was now stood.

"Aurors arrest that man" Fudge roared.

Harry slid his wand into his hand and gave the man a cold glare.

"Any man who attempts to attack my godfather will have to face me" he spoke quietly but dangerously, allowing some of his magic to escape him.

The whole room was stunned by the showdown between the two until Augusta Longbottom intervened.

"For goodness sake minister we have just ascertained that Lord Potter was telling the truth" she pointed out exasperatedly. "This trial is simply a formality" She concluded.

"Be that as it may Mr Black is still a wanted criminal and will be taken into custody, a trial will be ascertained at a later date" he replied clearly looking to delay things and gain himself some time.

"Oh shut up Fudge you overblown piss-monkey" a voice suddenly rang out. "The boy is here so he will get his trial now so you and your corrupt bunch of buffoons can't try and cover it up" the voice continued.

Fudge looked murderous at such an interruption and there was a lot of mumbling in disbelief that someone would dare speak to the minister in such a way.

"Who dares address me in such a manner" he asked angrily.

"That would be me you incompetent sack of shit, how the hell did a moron like you ever make minister?" a man questioned rising to his feet. Harry could see Arcturus had clearly had enough of Fudge and his attempts to both stop the proceedings and delay them any way he could.

"And who the bloody hell are you?" Fudge asked angrily but with a hint of wariness.

"I would be Baron Arcturus Orion Black, head of the Black family" Arcturus answered.

There were several loud gasps and looks of shock within the crowd. Harry found it very amusing that most of the darker families were looking very smug and triumphant all except for Malfoy who looked on the brink of fainting.

Fudge swallowed several times and attempted to compose himself but failed miserably. Seeing his opportunity, Arcturus continued his tirade.

"Is this what has become of this once great governing body?" he asked the room. "All I see now is a shower of bastards and cowards, your Fathers would be ashamed of you all" he continued. "You allow yourselves to be led by this glorified paper pusher who has his strings pulled by the biggest scumbag in existence" he added gesturing to Malfoy who was doing a very accurate impression of a gaping fish. "You all disgust me" he concluded.

"Baron Black" Theodore Nott Senior called out. "It is good to see you alive and well" he said with a bow. "Tell me, we thought you were dead, where have you been these past years?" he asked.

"Not that it is any of your concern you jumped up fuck wit" Arcturus replied. "But I have been… hunting" he finished with a grin. "It was recently bought to my attention that my grandson is in fact innocent so I am here as his head of house to offer my unconditional support, he will after all be the next Lord Black" he explained.

"Baron Black" Lucius Malfoy cut in sounding very nervous. "I too would like to echo the sentiments of Lord Nott and say it is good to see you back, I, having married a daughter of your house have been carrying out your duties in your stead as you know my son will one day be the head of your family" he explained with a bow.

"Is that so?" Arcturus questioned. "And under what authority have you been acting in my stead?" he asked with a glare. "Was it voted on by the other families?" he questioned further.

"It was I who appointed Lucius to that position" Fudge replied confidently. "I felt that as he was married in to your family and his son is the heir to the Lordship that it was appropriate" he answered.

"So you gave my family votes without the permission of the governing body?" Arcturus asked clearly angry. "And let me clarify, your son will never be the head of my family, I would sooner see it crumble to nothingness than allow a Malfoy to have that position" he spat. "My grandson is my heir and shall he not be able to produce an heir of his own then he already has one in place that will more than suffice" he explained coldly. "I will be taking my votes back also and this matter is not closed Fudge, how dare you usurp the house of Black with your dirty politics" he finished glaring at the now suitably cowed minister.

"I think that it is prudent for us to continue" Dumbledore cut in looking very thoughtful and uncomfortable.

"Yes, we should" Amelia replied in a similar state. "Administer the veritaserum to Mr Black Please" she requested and attempted to compose herself.

Sirius willingly took the potion and the tell-tale glazed expression could soon be seen in his eyes.

"What is your name?" Amelia asked him.

"Sirius Orion Black" was the reply she received.

"Did you kill the muggles in question?" she asked.

"No, it was Peter Pettigrew" was the monotonous answer.

"Were you the Potter's secret keeper?" she questioned further.

The room was silent waiting for the man's reply.

"No, it was Peter Pettigrew" he answered again.

There was furious whispering from the crowd and Amelia waited for it to stop before she continued.

"Are you or have you ever been a supporter of the dark lord?" she asked finally.

"No, I have not nor ever will be" he answered firmly.

"Are there any other objections?" Amelia asked the room who were suitably shocked by the events of the day.

When nobody objected Dumbledore addressed the room.

"Then it is my duty to inform you Mr Black, that all charges against you are therefore dropped, you are now a free man" he finished with a smile.

Sirius immediately stood and grabbed his godson in a crushing hug.

"We did it" he said dumbly. "I'm finally free" he added his eyes starting to water in happiness.

Harry said nothing but hugged the man tightly, very pleased at the outcome. He turned to look at Dumbledore who was looking between Harry and Arcturus knowingly. He gave the teen a smile and a nod.

"Oh and one other thing" Arcturus said loudly, gaining the attention of the room. "Any and all alliances that the house of Black has that I have not personally facilitated are hereby void and null, if any of you shits owes money to my house you have one month to pay it in full or the consequences will be very unpleasant" he finished with a glare.

There was some very uncomfortable looking men in the room now.

"I guess it turns out that you didn't need us" Andromeda said approaching the small group with her husband. "It looks like Potter handled it quite well" she added.

"No but it was best to have you there in case things really got messy and that shit Lucius nearly caused some real problems" Arcturus explained bitterly. "Speak of the devil" he muttered seeing that Malfoy was approaching.

"Baron Black" Lucius intoned with an elaborate bow. "I believe we have much to discuss in regards to your house and in particular some of the financial investments I have made on your behalf" he requested. "I have a very interested party who would seek an alliance with yourself" he finished with another bow.

"We" Arcturus replied. "have nothing to discuss you moron, did I not make myself clear?" he questioned the blonde. "As for your interested party he just like you can go and fuck himself" Arcturus growled firmly.

"You have no idea what you are doing" Lucius hissed with a whisper.

"Oh I know exactly what I am doing you French goat botherer, I was there that night back in June, who do you think helped young Lord Potter here" he explained with a grin.

Harry looked as though he wanted to kill Malfoy there and then and was clearly exercising some significant restraint.

Arcturus stepped towards the blonde and spoke in a whisper.

"Believe me Malfoy nothing will give me greater pleasure than seeing Potter end you in the most painful way possible, I hope it is something I get to witness soon" he said with a sadistic smile.

Malfoy blanched and made to flee, obviously to inform his master of the developments.

"Malfoy?" Harry called out causing the blonde to turn to him. "I look forward to seeing you again, I think our world will be much better without scumbags like you in it, even though your home country is very nice, I hear you had quite an unsuccessful business trip there recently" he finished with a smirk seeing the look of realisation dawn on the man's face as he managed to scarper.

"Might I assume that it is you that have been keeping young Mr Potter here safe?" Dumbledore addressed Arcturus having approached unseen by the group.

Arcturus growled at the intrusion, clearly not happy by it.

"Assumptions are very dangerous things Dumbledore" he retorted. "I suggest you don't make them where I am concerned" he advised.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I see that you still have your venomous tongue" he intoned undeterred by the man's demeanour.

"And I see you are still an interfering old git with that annoying twinkle" the other man replied casually.

"I believe we will need to have a conversation" Dumbledore returned questioningly.

"Oh we will be having a conversation when I can tolerate your presence enough to do so and in the mean time you will hand over Potter's guardianship to my grandson, where it belongs" he demanded irritably to which Dumbledore nodded.

"I look forward to our conversation" he replied with a bow. "And may I offer the use of my floo connection?" he asked. "You will find it through the door behind my desk I am sure you don't want to be delayed by the crowd who will no doubt want to be talking to you" he added before leaving.

Arcturus growled again and began swearing under his breath about 'old bastards' and such.

Nevertheless the group made their way to the floo point as directed by Dumbledore when Harry was stopped by Jonathan Greengrass and Robert Davis.

"You certainly know how to make a wizengamot meeting much more interesting Lord Potter" Jonathan said while the other man nodded his agreement. "I very much look forward to seeing you again" he finished with a genuine smile.

"You too Lord Greengrass, Lord Davis" Harry replied returning the smile.

The group continued to the floo point ignoring the looks from several others who clearly wished to speak to them but clearly dared not approach.

"Back to my place?" Sirius questioned.

"Yes, it has been some time since I've seen that hovel" Arcturus answered with distaste evident. "I need to speak to the elf as it happens" he added.

With that the group flooded to Grimmauld place and all took seats around the kitchen table but were quickly and unceremoniously interrupted by the arrival of most members of the order of the phoenix.

"Dumbledore asked us to meet here" Kingsley explained giving a nervous glance towards Arcturus who was mumbling about being surrounded by imbeciles.

"Then we should leave" Andromeda announced standing.

"You will stay put" Arcturus instructed firmly. "This is a Black family home and we will be present in it as and when we wish" he finished glaring at the order members who were looking confused by his presence.

"You are of course quite right Baron Black" Dumbledore agreed entering the room causing some of the gathered people who knew of Arcturus to gasp. "It would be quite rude of us to insist that you leave" he finished.

"You don't mean to offer him membership?" Molly Weasley asked nervously to which Arcturus allowed a bark of laughter.

"I wouldn't join this group for all the gold in Gringotts" he snarked bitterly. "You all might be happy kissing his crinkled old arse" he added pointing to Dumbledore, "but I will answer to no man" he finished resolutely.

"So whose side are you on?" Kingsley asked clearly offended.

"Mine" Arcturus answered simply.

The room was silent for some time until Molly broke the silence.

"So it is you that has turned Harry into what he is" she said accusingly to the older man who glared in return.

"I think you will find that I merely helped the boy when he was in need, everything he has become is his own doing and he should be proud of what he has accomplished, not that it concerns you" he pointed out.

"He should be proud that he is a killer?" she responded disbelievingly.

"He should be proud that he has become his own man and one that holds his family values as true as he does" Arcturus replied coldly. "He should be proud that he is willing to truly fight for what he believes in regardless of what any of you think" he finished with another glare around the room.

It was then that the door opened, admitting Mad-eye Moody and McGonagall.

"Well Pettigrew has been…" Moody began but froze at the sight of Arcturus as did Minerva.

"Auror Moody, I see your dodging and shielding did not improve over the years" Arcturus said disappointedly. "And stop gaping like a moron for fuck sake" he added shaking his head.

Moody composed himself and snapped to attention.

"Yes sir" he replied loudly and clearly. "I lost my damn leg before I could improve sir" he added in a military fashion.

"Hmm at least not all of you are completely brain dead idiots" Arcturus mumbled. "Be seated Moody" he commaded dismissively and to the surprise of those in the room the man obeyed.

"I was not aware that you and Alastor were acquainted" Dumbledore spoke, addressing Arcturus who ignored him.

"Aye, he came and taught us a few things when I was training" Moody replied still looking a little shocked.

"Interesting" Dumbledore mused stroking his beard.

"Nothing interesting about it" Arcturus cut in. "I taught the boy a few things end of story" he explained. "Now Minerva it is good to see you" he added to the still stunned Scot.

"You too Baron Black" She replied with a curtsey. "I was upset to hear that your wife passed" she added sincerely.

"She was a good woman, who I plan on being reacquainted with soon enough" he responded genuinely causing another silence in the room.

"Well now that everyone is here we can celebrate the fact that Sirius is now a free man" Dumbledore broke the awkward silence, to which those who were not in the know cheered for the man who had already begun to summon bottles of firewhiskey.

Arcturus snatched a bottle from his hand.

"There will be plenty of time for you to drink yourself into a grave after the war" he growled to his grandson. "Priorities first" he added firmly to which Sirius just nodded. "Have you been practicing?" he asked.

"Every day for as long as possible" Sirius replied.

"Good so you won't be completely useless in a fight" Arcturus responded. "And did you get your wands?" he asked again to which Sirius nodded and removed one from a wrist holster.

"Willow and cherry with direwolf claw and chimera heartstring with and obsidian focus crystal" he explained the elements of his wand.

"Satisfactory" the older man deemed.

The gathering continued with people having casual conversations and Arcturus even spoke to Moody in a somewhat friendly manner. It wasn't much later that the door opened revealing a very dishevelled Remus Lupin to whom Sirius ran to immediately.

"We did it Moony, I'm free" he announced pulling his childhood friend into a hug.

"That's great Padfoot" the man replied genuinely but he still looked apprehensive.

"Remus, what's wrong?" Sirius asked in concern.

Before the other man could reply a woman entered the room and moved him to the side and simply stared at Sirius with so much emotion in her eyes.

"Oh shit" Harry said having recognised the woman.

"Hello Sirius" the woman addressed the man looking very nervous and uncomfortable.

Everyone could see the shock on Sirius' face but no one spoke a word. None of them recognised the woman who looked as dishevelled as Remus but was clearly very beautiful. She had many scars on the skin that could be seen on her arms and she looked a little ragged.

"But you're dead" Sirius replied dumbly and fled the room as quickly as he could.

Remus made to follow him but was held back by the woman.

"No Remus, I will go" she said firmly. "It is me that has a lot to explain" she added and followed the man from the room.

"Who the hell was that?" Kingsley asked after a few moments had passed.

"That would be Sirius' fiancé" Harry replied to the shocked group.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius entered the drawing room in complete shock and utter disbelief at what just happened. He paced backwards and forwards mumbling to himself.

"No it can't be right, someone is playing a trick on me" he spoke to himself. "She's dead, she wouldn't do that to me" he added trying to convince himself that it wasn't true.

His rambling was interrupted by the woman he was currently thinking about. She entered the room and closed the door softly. The two just stared at each other for some time before she broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Please will you talk to me Sirius?" she pleaded. "Please just let me explain".

"What is there to explain?" Sirius asked in reply. "You died 15 years ago" he said shaking his head.

"I'm right here" she whispered attempting to grab the man's hand but he pulled away much to her dismay.

"No" he denied shaking his head.

He looked at the woman, he could see it truly was her but instead of feeling relieved he felt angry. Had someone said to him only 24 hours ago she would walk back in to his life he would have welcomed it, but seeing her now did not reflect that sentiment. He was hurt and he was furious, how dare she just walk back in like that?

"Sirius please" she pleaded again. "Please talk to me, don't do this" she begged.

"Me?" the man replied furiously. "Me do this? It was you that did this Marlene, how could you?" he asked becoming emotional.

"Please I was scared Sirius, look at me" she demanded when the man would not meet her gaze. "Look at what they did to me" she added removing her blouse and showing off her scarred torso. "I was ashamed, they turned me into one of them and I didn't know what to do" she said beginning to cry.

"You should have come to me" Sirius replied.

"And you would have wanted me looking like this?" she questioned bitterly and sceptically.

"Yes" Sirius replied simply. "There was nothing that could have happened to you that would have made me want you any less" he confirmed firmly. "Do you think so little of me?" he asked. "Do you think that I was only with you because of the way you looked? If that is true then you did not know me at all" he finished in disappointment again turning from the woman

"And it would have been that easy, you would have just accepted it?" she asked.

"Yes it is that simple and yes I would have accepted, but I would have hunted every one of those bastards down for what they did to you" he explained.

The woman remained silent and something within Sirius snapped.

"15 years Marlene" he began. "15 years I have mourned for you, every single day I thought of you and wished for nothing more than to have you with me and for 15 years I have felt this pain" he choked, beginning to cry himself. "And let me tell you it doesn't get any easier, the pain does not go away, I just got better at dealing with it" he finished swallowing and just allowed himself to cry for a minute.

"I understand…" she began but was cut off.

"No you don't understand" Sirius shouted. "I thought you were dead, do you know what that did to me?" he asked. "Even if I didn't end up in Azkaban there would never have been anyone else for me, you were my whole world and you just left as though I was nothing" he added bitterly.

"It wasn't like that" she replied quietly through her own tears.

"Then what was it like?" Sirius retorted. "Explain it to me because I don't understand" he said grabbing her by the hands.

"Do you think people would have accepted us being together with me like this?" she asked. "You could have had any woman you wanted besides Alice and Lils why the hell would you want a werewolf and one with these?" she asked gesturing to her scars.

"Because I loved you" he replied without hesitation. "Because I loved every last thing about you and no other woman could be you and they never could be" he continued. "Regardless of if you were a werewolf or not I would have stuck by you and everyone and everything else be damned, because I know that we would have been happy and that is all that would have mattered to me" he finished.

"Loved me?" she asked quietly. "So you don't anymore?" she questioned desperately.

"There will never be a day that I stop loving you Marlene but after this what do you expect from me?" he returned.

"To please not shut me out and give me a chance to make it up to you" she asked gripping the man's hands tighter in her own.

When he did not reply she continued.

"All I wanted was to come back and I almost did" she began. "I got back to England and heard the You-know-who had been killed and that you had been sent to Azkaban for being a traitor" she explained.

"I was innocent" Sirius replied heatedly.

"And I know that now but I didn't then" she responded. "I believed for all these years that you were guilty and that it was me that had driven you to it, it wasn't until Remus found me and explained everything that I realised how stupid I had been" she continued. "And I knew I had to come back and see you if only to apologise, I couldn't live with that kind of guilt" she sighed shaking her head.

When the man remained silent she continued.

"I love you Sirius Black and I never stopped loving you" she spoke sincerely, grabbing his chin and turning him to face her. "Even though I thought you were guilty and I tried to stop loving you I couldn't" she whispered clearly ashamed. "I still love you and there has never been another man for me, this" she said waving her left hand in his face showing a white gold ring with a diamond in the centre, "is meant to be for life, no matter what, and I'm sorry that I didn't understand that but I was young and I was scared and I still am" She admitted. "If you want me to leave then I will but please do not make the same mistake that I did" she pleaded.

When Sirius remained silent she pulled away dejected and began to remove the ring to return to the man.

He grabbed her hand, stopping her, and looked her in the eyes, the same eyes he had thought about the last 15 years, those same eyes he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

"You mean it?" he managed to croak his eyes welling with tears.

"With all my heart" She answered sincerely.

Sirius grabbed her and pulled him to her, clinging as though he would never let go, he certainly didn't plan to. It would be some time before they would be seen again, 15 years is a lot of lost time to make up for.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort was currently sat at a table in Malfoy manor going through the various reports he had received from his men on the continent. Things were beginning to look up. He had managed to easily bring the werewolves to his side and he was about ready to begin negotiating with the vampires. He was even managing to find more followers from abroad which pleased him greatly and they would certainly be a welcome addition to the army he was amassing. He was a little concerned that the rat had still not returned but he took the sign of the returning dementors as a good thing. The problem with them was that he could not communicate with them but they seemed to be in their normal spirit. He was dragged from his thoughts by the door bursting open to reveal a very frantic and concerned looking Lucius Malfoy.

"This had better be important Lucius" he hissed. "I am very busy" he added.

"My Lord" Lucius intoned bowing before the man. "It was Potter" he managed to stammer out.

"What are you blathering on about Lucius" Voldemort replied confused.

"He was the one in France my Lord" he whispered clearly fearful of his masters wrath.

"Impossible" the Dark Lord spat. "Potter is dead, I killed him" he continued vehemently.

"He caught the rat, he was at the wizengamot today" Lucius responded almost pleadingly.

Lord Voldemort allowed a moment to pass for the information to sink in and to let the shock pass. After a moment he roared in fury and aimed his wand towards the wall and blasted an enormous hole in it.

"Rookwood" he roared.

The two men waited for the third to join them. When he did he looked confused for a moment and then fearful after gaging the mood of the Dark Lord.

"My Lord" he greeted bowing to the clearly furious man.

"I want the guard on the department of mysteries doubled and I want to know the second anyone enters the room who should not be there" he ordered.

"Yes my Lord" the man replied with a bow.

"Fetch Rowle and Nott also, I have a job for the three of you" he demanded to which the man left immediately to carry out his orders.

"That is not all my Lord" Lucius cut in shaking and cowering.

"What else is it?" Voldemort asked daringly.

"Black is back, Arcturus" he managed to stutter out.

The Dark Lord could not understand how that would be so important, but then the realisation sunk in, not that Lucius would understand the importance.

His Horcruxes. Regulus knew about them and must have told the old bastard. But why would he get involved? He realised it must have been him that helped Potter and then it sunk in. He must have known the Dark Lord killed his Grandson and the Blacks did not take kindly to transgressions against them. Arcturus had a reputation for vengeance, it was well known that he fought against Grindelwald for killing his brother and father. He would have to be eliminated, he could cause problems but Potter was the main concern and the Dark Lord was truly concerned. No matter how much he had tried he had not been able to kill the boy.

"You said that it was Potter in France?" he questioned Lucius with a hint of worry.

"Yes my Lord" Malfoy replied keeping his head bowed.

"It seems that he has learnt a thing or two" he mused to himself, his worry increasing.

He knew he would have to gage how powerful and skilled the boy had become and he needed to know the contents of that prophecy. Something felt very wrong to the Dark Lord, he just hoped that Wormtail had been unsuccessful in reaching the castle.

"I want Potter punished" he suddenly spat. "I don't care how, but I want it done" he roared his worry turning to fury but not completely fading.

"What would you have me do my Lord?" Lucius asked.

"I want you to tell me everything and keep doing what you are doing Lucius" he commanded. "Keep close to Fudge and report back everything and anything" he added.

Rookwood returned with Nott and Rowle who were both looking concerned, both having been present at the meeting this morning.

"My Lord" they all intoned in unison.

"Lucius" he said addressing the fourth man. "How would you suggest we get to Potter?" he asked.

"If he is protected by Black then there is no chance and it is impossible to get to him at his relatives because of the wards in place" he began knowingly. "But we could get to him through the people he cares about" he added, clearly having an idea.

"And that would be?" the Dark Lord asked.

"The Weasley's" Lucius replied with a smirk.

"There you have it gentlemen" the Dark Lord said to the other three. "That is your mission, and do not fail me" he warned darkly.

The other three men just nodded and left, they had a job to do.

 **A/N**

 **A slightly shorter chapter and probably the most difficult to write. I wrote and rewrote this 3 times and I am not still 100% satisfied with it but it is not entirely detrimental to the story so it is not a big deal. The court room scene in particular was difficult I had hundreds of ideas on how it would play out but decided to keep it simple and as realistic as possible. Again I want to thank you guys for the reviews and patience. I know some of these chapters are long but I promise it will be picking up again soon it would just really bother me if I was leaving things half attempted. Follow, Favourite and review guys.**

 **TBR**


	11. Making Waves

**A/N**

 **Before I start this chapter I just want to thank all of you who have shared this little journey of mine with me so far. I would say we are getting close to the half-way point now but there is still so much to happen. I am surprised by the only minimal amount of negativity I have received and to those that have sent me negative reviews, I am not sorry at all for what I have written because 99% of you seem to be enjoying. Remember there are ¾ of a million stories on here and you won't like them all, the easy thing to do is just not read it, especially if there are only 10 chapters so far and you start disliking it by the second one. One person sent me a private message saying there hasn't been enough 'difficult times' well believe me that is going to change, but I will not deviate from my story and my plans to please anyone. Anyway, let's get on with it.**

Chapter 11: Making Waves

Augustus Rookwood, Thorfin Rowle and Theodore Nott Senior were stood at the edge of the ward line on the Weasley property. It had taken a week to gather everything they would need to carry out their mission but they were satisfied the plan would go off without a hitch.

Rookwood was a man of intelligence and refused to listen to Rowle's suggestion of simply blasting their way in and killing everyone in sight, much to the other man's chagrin. Instead he had devised a cunning plan that would see the mission complete with a much smaller chance of them getting killed or injured. Having worked in the department of mysteries for many years he had been privy to information and developments that the general public had not been and although, due to various oaths, he could not talk about such things, there was nothing preventing him from using such advancements.

In his hand he was carrying one of these said advancements; a ward transition implement. This item would cause the wards of a property to simply reverse and depending on the type of ward, could simply kill the occupants of the warded area.

The item did have its limitations however. It could only be used on a certain sized area for it to work effectively. The Weasley property was big so before he could use it he would need to significantly reduce the reach of the wards, but that would only work in his favour. The ward power would not diminish but would instead be more concentrated on a smaller area, making them unstable but a very deadly weapon.

The other problem was that the item itself was extremely difficult to create, very expensive and the needed materials were near to non-existent and could only be used once. He had managed to steal this one from the department many years ago and had held on to it just in case the need ever arose.

He had spent much of his time here this week analysing the ward scheme put in place by the cure breaker son and he was very impressed by the work, it was second to none and the boy clearly had no qualms about killing to protect his family, if his ward scheme was anything to go by. The lethality of the wards would be his families downfall however as they were assured to eradicate any living creature that would be caught in them.

"My, my, my these are very impressive wards" he informed the other two. "Rowle keep your foolish hands to yourself and do nothing, if you fuck this up then we all die" he explained firmly.

The hulk of a blonde man just nodded and stood still. He was not a man of intelligence but he understood that if Rookwood thought something was dangerous, then it most certainly was not something to take lightly.

Augustus began the process of shrinking the wards to a more fitting size for the device. It took only a few minutes to complete and only had to remove one additional proximity ward. He was about to activate the item when he was halted by Nott.

"Shouldn't we see how many people are in there first" he suggested in an overly oily voice. "It would not be satisfactory for us plan so much to find that there is nobody home" he said with a raised eyebrow.

Rookwood kicked himself mentally for forgetting the most simple yet important thing.

" _Homenum Revelio"_ he mumbled and frowned at the results. "How many of them are there?" he questioned.

"There should be nine of them" Nott replied.

"Well there are only 3 on the property" Rookwood explained.

"Three will be enough" Nott said with a nod. "We want to punish Potter, this will do" he finished.

Rookwood just shrugged and activated the device. He placed it within the ward line itself and waited.

Around 30 seconds later loud screams could be heard for a few moments and then the property was silent. They may have only gotten 3 of the redheads but it would be sufficient for now.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore along with the rest of the Hogwarts staff were having a peaceful evening meal in the Great Hall, minus Umbridge, a welcome absence to them all. Although Dumbledore enjoyed the antics he would see from the students at meal times he had to admit to himself that it was occasionally pleasant to enjoy a meal such as this with his friends in which they wouldn't be disturbed by the drama and noise from hundreds of noisy young witches and wizards.

He was currently sorting through the daily mountain of correspondence he received when he came to a letter from the department of education and examinations simply marked.

 _To The Guardian of Harry James Potter_

He opened the letter and read the contents. He found himself very surprised but could not understand why. He knew that Harry was an exceptional wizard but this went beyond what he had expected from the young man.

He shook his head and gave a little chuckle, garnering the attention from the assembled staff members.

"It appears that young Mr Potter has taken it upon himself to complete his OWLS already" he informed them.

"Surely he would not have been ready" Minerva intoned disbelievingly.

"I think you will find Minerva, that with the right motivation and a good enough influence, the possibilities of a determined young man are endless" he said with a smile to the witch as he handed her the parchment.

"Impressive" she whispered as she finished reading. "I very much doubt that these will be beaten this year" she added. "It is a shame that Miss Granger is so rigid in her approach and relies only on information she finds in books" she continued. "She would no doubt be a much better student if she was more flexible and would formulate her own conclusions from her studies, something that will have to change when she sits her NEWTS" she finished.

"Yes but it is something she will learn to do, that I have no doubt" Dumbledore replied.

Minerva paused as something the older man had said finally clicked into place.

"Surely Albus you don't think that Arcturus Black is a good influence on the boy?" she asked sceptically.

"No Minerva I do not" was the firm reply she received. "I do not believe that it is Baron Black who is his influence" he added. "Tell me Minerva, who is it that young Harry reminds you of now?" he questioned.

Minerva thought for several moments before she replied.

"Well he is not like his father very much and the only similarity to his mother is the grades he has received" she mused. "If I had to say he was like anyone then it would have to be his Grandfather" she concluded.

"My thoughts exactly" Dumbledore concurred.

"I still remember that duel he had with the German" Flitwick piped up. "He was a very impressive fighter" he added.

"That he was Filius" Dumbledore agreed.

"The man was quite the rogue" Minerva cut in. "But very dangerous, I also remember that duel Filius I sometimes think I can still smell the burns" she said wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Yes but it is much better that Harry is like Charlus" Dumbledore continued sadly. "He will need to be in the coming conflict and he could certainly have much worse role models" he finished.

"The boy should be locked up" Snape spat distastefully.

"Severus" Dumbledore reprimanded firmly. "I have told you time and time again about your attitude towards the boy, I would recommend that you curb it" he advised the potions master. "I do not doubt that Harry meant what he said about treating you with the same contempt that he does any other that carries that mark" he advised knowingly.

"And you would allow him to attack me?" Snape asked disbelievingly.

"It is out of my control" Dumbledore replied. "Harry is his own man with his own morals, if you treated him with respect then you may find that he is a powerful ally for you, you are after all seeking the same end" he said to the man.

"He does not deserve my respect" Snape spat. "He is a mediocre wizard who has gotten lucky a few times, and luck runs out Albus" he replied.

"And Potter clearly understands that" Minerva interrupted handing Snape the parchment she still held. "That is why he has been studying and training so hard" she added with a glare.

Snape read the parchment and although he would not admit it he was impressed by the whelp.

"Training, using dark magic you mean, you saw what he did to those men" he said pointing a finger at the transfiguration professor.

"You are referring to his family magic" Dumbledore intervened starting to become annoyed.

"Family magic?" Snape asked with a raised eyebrow. "I was not aware that the Potters knew dark magic like that, if they did I'm sure the boy's father would have taken great joy in cursing me like that" he added bitterly.

"Harry just like his father is not just a Potter, Severus" Dumbledore spoke, shaking his head. "It just so happens that Harry has learnt the family magic that James did not" he explained sadly.

"What the hell are you talking about Albus?" Snape asked exasperatedly.

"Harry is also a Black on his father's side, surely you knew that already?" Dumbledore asked the man.

Snape in fact did not know that. The Potters were a secretive bunch and Regulus nor Bellatrix had told him.

"That does not surprise me" Snape intoned. "He is just as insolent as his father and his godfather were and now he has learnt the dark magic of the Blacks, great he will no doubt be the next dark lord" he spat causing the others at the table to gasp.

"No Severus, he will not" Dumbledore responded firmly. "Harry is doing what he has to do to end this and to make sure he survives, I too was worried that he was becoming dark but after speaking to the boy it clearly is not true" he added. "He does not enjoy the killing but it is a necessity of war and there is no doubt that many more will fall to his hands, but I for one support him and will be there for him if and when he needs me" he finished resolutely.

The staff were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Umbridge, a couple of aurors and a very gleeful and triumphant looking Cornelius Fudge.

"Ahh Albus, I am so glad we could catch you" the minister spoke insincerely. "I have some very good news for you" he explained.

Dumbledore very much doubted that what the man had to say would constitute good news.

"And what good news would that be Cornelius?" he questioned the man.

"We will get to that momentarily" Fudge dismissed. "Let me ask you Albus, when was the last time you took a holiday away from the castle?" he asked.

"That would be 1973" Dumbledore answered. "I had the most pleasant visit to Guernsey, it is quite a fascinating place" he added fondly.

"Well then today is your lucky day" the minister replied. "It has been brought to the governors attention that you have not had a holiday away from the castle in many years and it seems that because of this, the standards of the school have been dropping significantly" he explained with faux disappointment. "So they have seen fit to give you the rest of this school year off" he finished gleefully.

"Ahh" Dumbledore mused. "And I suppose that I have no choice?" he asked, already aware of the answer.

"No Albus you do not I'm afraid, your holiday is to begin with immediate effect" Fudge informed him. "We" he said indicating his group, "are here to escort you from the castle and you are not to return until the governors feel that you have had a suitable length of time away, you are after all not a young man anymore" he finished.

"I see" Dumbledore replied having expected something like this to happen. "It would appear that you have indeed found a way to oust me Cornelius, very savvy" he praised.

"No Albus, it is not about ousting you" the man replied with a fake smile. "It is to ensure that our children are under the best care possible and the governors have seen fit to allow Madame Umbridge here to see to your duties in your absence" he explained.

"But I am the deputy Headmistress" Minerva cut in annoyed.

"And you will maintain your post" Fudge responded. "There seems little point in moving you around when it is only such a temporary thing" he explained patronisingly.

"I see, well then as I have very little choice in the matter, I will of course comply with your request" Dumbledore conceded with a nod. "May I please retrieve some of my personal items, I fear as an old man in the advanced years that I find myself in, some of them are necessary" he explained with a smile.

"Yes you may" Fudge retorted a little annoyed. "But be quick about it, I have other matters to attend to today" he finished looking at his watch impatiently.

"Albus, you can't be serious?" Minerva asked the older man.

"No, Minerva Cornelius is right, it is time that I took some time away to refresh myself, there are many wonderful places I have yet to visit, perhaps a trip to Wales would be nice" he mused. "And remember, we spoke of this" he added with a whisper to his long-time friend.

Minerva nodded.

"I know, Albus but I did not think it would happen" she said sadly.

"Just remember to do what is best by the students and it will all be fine, the wards will keep you all safe" he replied firmly.

"Get on with it Albus" Fudge cut in angrily.

With that Dumbledore exited the Great Hall to pack his things, albeit unwillingly. He knew the students were in safe hands with Minerva and the rest of the staff but he was not comfortable entirely with the changes the day had brought. It would give him more time to focus on Tom but right now he was not causing much of a problem.

"I will be back soon enough" he said quietly to the castle itself.

 _(BREAK)_

The past week for Harry had been spent training and avoiding leaving the house as much as possible. Every day so far the media had been writing about himself, Arcturus and Sirius and making various speculations about the trio. He had so far been accused of turning dark, truancy and even disgracing the memory of his parents with his apparent alliance with the Black family.

He had received many requests for interviews which he of course had denied having more important things to focus on. A few had even had the gall to try and force him to attend an interview by sending portkey's that would activate at his touch. Needless to say, Arcturus had been furious and returned them with a few gifts.

They soon stopped arriving.

He had ventured out a few times in one of his disguises to get a feel for the mood of the community and what he saw and heard annoyed him considerably. Many still believed that Sirius was guilty and had somehow managed get off on a technicality and others spoke of Arcturus and how dark the man clearly was. He heard very little negativity aimed towards himself, it seemed that the public felt sorry for the 'poor little boy' he was and believed he was being taken advantage of.

The truth of the matter was that Harry didn't care what they thought of him, his annoyance came from what he had heard about Sirius from the misinformed morons on the street. No doubt Fudge and his cohorts had been pulling strings again.

Harry and Arcturus were sat in the drawing and were discussing the developments of the week when they were interrupted by the arrival of a phoenix patronus materialising in the room.

"Harry would you and Baron Black be so kind as to join me at headquarters" the bird spoke in the voice of Dumbledore.

Harry turned to the older man who was eying the patronus with distaste. He averted his gaze towards the clock as the creature vanished and growled.

"He knows how to pick his moments, the time is hardly decent" he mumbled in annoyance.

"You know you don't have to come" Harry pointed out.

"I may as well it's not like sitting here is very productive" he responded. "Twinkly-eyed old git" he added bitterly.

Harry had noticed that since he had gotten the information from Pettigrew that the older man had become even more pessimistic and cantankerous, if that was possible. It seemed that with the 15 year long Horcrux hunt all but finished, Arcturus had very little to do. Harry hoped he would find something for him to do to at least keep him occupied, he then at least might be in a better mood.

The duo apparated away and appeared in the square opposite Grimmauld Place. They entered the house to find it very quiet, the only people inside were Dumbledore, Sirius and the newly returned Marlene McKinnon.

As soon as they entered the room Sirius approached them dragging a very nervous fiancé in his wake.

"Harry this is Marlene McKinnon, I'm sure I told you about her when I was drunk" he said a little sheepishly.

Harry took the ladies hand and kissed the back of it gently. He then proceeded to look at her critically before shaking his head.

"What is it?" She asked quietly.

"Well it seems that my godfather seems to definitely be punching above his weight" he replied. "What would a beautiful lady of your quality be doing with a mutt like that" he added jerking his head towards the now gaping man. "You do realise he urinates on things that he sees as his property" he finished seriously.

The woman turned red and giggled at the younger man.

"That was only once" Sirius whined. "I couldn't control the animal back then and I could smell Moony everywhere" he said in annoyance. "And you can get your own woman" he added pulling the lady towards him. "There's a bloody queue of them out there lined up and waiting" he finished pointing towards the door.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Oh you haven't seen it have you?" Sirius asked gleefully.

He almost sprinted to the kitchen table and returned clutching a magazine which he handed to Harry, his eyes full of mirth.

"Why would I read Teen Witch Weekly?" he asked the man who was clearly trying not to laugh.

"Just look" he said pointing to the magazine to which Harry complied reluctantly.

 _Harry Potter: Heartthrob_

"Oh this isn't good" Harry muttered, shaking his head.

The head shaking did not stop at all while he read the article, Harry was simply horrified by what it contained. The article continually speculated on his love life and 'how manywitches virtues' he had claimed. They made him out to be some kind of Don Juan that was systematically fornicating with the entire population of witches within and beyond the country boundaries. They described him as 'a hunk of muscle with the most enticing emerald eyes' and claimed that 'any witch would be lucky to find herself on the arm of such a wizard'.

The icing on the cake for Harry was the appeal they had published asking any women to come forward and share their experience with the young man.

Throughout the entirety of Harry reading Sirius was roaring with laughter to the point of tears. When he saw that his godson had finished he placed an unconvincingly comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Now Pup" he began in a false fatherly tone. "Don't you think that you should consider marrying one of these young witches whom" he pulled the article from the young man's clutches and scanned for a quote. "you have used to holster your wand" he finished laughing again.

"It's not funny Sirius" Harry hissed angrily. "None of it is true" he added with a frown. "Where the hell did you get this anyway?" he asked. "It's not like it's the kind of thing you would read" he pointed out.

"I caught Dora reading it" he shrugged. "She seemed upset that she was not one of your conquests or" he scanned the page again, "a part of your harem of hot honey's" he roared again in laughter.

"That's enough you two" Arcturus cut in. "I don't give a damn where or how Potter is getting his jollies we were asked here for a reason" he finished questioningly looking towards Dumbledore who nodded.

"Yeah Albus. What was so important that we had to wait for these two to get here?" Sirius asked with a frown.

"I am afraid I have some very bad news" he replied sadly his eyes absent of the usual twinkle. "I just got word from Arthur that the wards at the Burrow malfunctioned" he continued. "Molly, young Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood were inside, none of them survived" he finished with a deep sigh.

Harry sank into a chair at the table in complete shock. It couldn't be true. Not Mrs Weasley or Ginny. He had no idea who Miss Lovegood was but clearly she was an unnecessary casualty of the war.

Dumbledore watched as Arcturus whispered something into Harry's ear and saw how the shock vanished and an impassive masked formed in its place. He didn't like that the boy was bottling his feelings but he knew and understood that there were times it was necessary, particularly if people looked to you in difficult times for guidance.

"Bill would have placed those wards" Harry said quietly. "He is one of the best cursebreakers in the country, this does not feel right" he finished shaking his head.

"They are my thoughts exactly" Dumbledore replied seriously. "Something is amiss and I will get to the bottom of it" he vowed to the gathered people.

"It's too much of a coincidence" Arcturus cut in. "Definitely his work" he added thoughtfully.

"What the hell could cause the wards to attack its own occupants?" Sirius asked.

"I'm afraid wards are one of the things I have little understanding of" Dumbledore replied. "But I do not doubt that some of Tom's followers are exceptional with them and certainly had a hand in it" he finished.

"I'm going to have to draw him out" Harry suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" Sirius questioned.

"Well I thought that after the Hogsmeade attack and the Azkaban breakout that people would wake up and if they are now blaming outright murder on accidents then I doubt they ever will, not unless they see him for themselves" he explained.

"What are you planning pup?" Sirius asked gravely.

"He knows that I am alive right?" he asked.

When the others nodded their agreement he continued.

"Well now more than ever he is going to want that prophecy and he will have people watching it constantly" he continued again getting a nod of agreement. "Do you think he would trust anyone else to get it for him?, especially if you three are with me" he finished indicating the other men in the room.

"That's some smart thinking Potter" Arcturus intoned. "He would have no choice but to come himself, he knows that between us his Death Eaters would not stand a chance" he said a little gleefully. "But it does need some fine tuning" he finished.

"How so?" Harry asked.

"Well we need to make sure that the building is quite empty to avoid too many injuries or deaths" he began. "So that means a late night visit" he continued. "We need to make sure that we are found by the right people, so that means preferably Fudge and a bunch of aurors" he added. "And you need to make sure that you can hold him off long enough" he finished with a look.

"Why don't you just kill him, all of you together? And what bloody prophecy?" Marlene asked.

"No" Harry said firmly. "I will kill him, it is my fight" he said glaring at the other occupants. "And the prophecy is a meaningless thing to me that means a lot to him" he added dismissively.

"That's just stupid pride talking" Marlene replied.

"No, Harry is right" Dumbledore interjected sadly. "It is his fight and myself and Baron Black are too old to last more than a minute against him now" he finished with a sigh.

"And Sirius understands that this is my fight, don't you?" he asked his godfather who just nodded reluctantly.

"And you think you can beat him?" she asked sceptically.

"Not yet" Harry answered simply. "But I will be able to one day, for now I just need to be able to hold him off and that gives me a chance to see how much I need to improve" he added thoughtfully.

"You're mad" Marlene said shaking her head. "If Lils was alive she would kick your arse for being so stupid" she added.

"Well she's not is she" Harry replied coldly and Marlene could see the emerald fire ignite in his eyes. It made her shudder uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry Harry I shouldn't have said that" she apologised genuinely.

"It's fine" Harry replied dismissing her with a wave. "We need to work on getting Fudge out of office to, he is not a war time leader, shit, he isn't a leader anyway" Harry said ruefully.

"He has indeed become quite the problem" Dumbledore cut in.

"What do you mean?" Arcturus asked.

"Well it seems that he has succeeded in having me removed from the castle and has placed Dolores Umbridge in control of the school, officially I am on an extended holiday" he explained.

"That is not good" Harry surmised.

"No it is not, but there is very little that can be done, he has had it approved by the governors" Dumbledore replied.

"Well it does give you time to work on removing Fudge" Harry mused. "I'm sure the two of you could come up with something" he said gesturing between the headmaster and Arcturus who looked as though he wanted to strangle the boy for suggesting such a thing. Harry caught the look and shook his head.

"For fuck sake this isn't about you and your egos" he said irritably. "This is about finishing this, and getting rid of Fudge can make it easier" he continued. "You are both grown men, I don't care if you don't like each other but you both want this, both are intelligent enough to pull it off, and I'm sure that between you it will not be a problem so just bloody well get on with it" he finished breathlessly.

"You are, of course right Harry" Dumbledore responded.

"I guess it is easier" Arcturus responded. "But if you talk to me like that again boy, so help me I will curse you" he added looking at Harry with venom.

"You always say that, but you haven't done it yet" Harry pointed out.

"Your day will come Potter" Arcturus retorted.

"Okay, we have a rough outline of what we are going to do" Sirius cut in. "Is there anything else?" he asked.

"I think I will have to take a trip to Hogwarts beforehand" Harry replied. "To get the last one" he added looking at Arcturus.

"Yeah with him out of the castle" he said pointing at Dumbledore. "I don't think it is as safe" he finished grudgingly.

"Would you remind explaining what you are referring to" Dumbledore asked.

Arcturus looked at the Headmaster critically before he answered.

"Horcruxes" he replied simply. "He has them" he added with a shrug.

Dumbledore was not entirely surprised that the other man knew of them but he was surprised that he had them, if he heard correctly.

"How many have you got" Dumbledore asked neutrally but he was feeling very nervous.

"Including that diary that Potter destroyed and the one inside him, 5" he answered. "There is one more at Hogwarts" he added.

"I thought there might be" Dumbledore replied sadly. "But I believe there are 7" he added.

"7?" Arcturus questioned.

"Yes, Tom is very superstitious and was very good at Arithmancy, I initially thought he would have made 3 but from what you have said, I believe it is 7" he explained.

"So there is another?" Arcturus asked disbelievingly.

"It makes sense that there is" Dumbledore answered. "I very much doubt that the soul could be broken more times than that and function" he explained.

"You seem to know a lot about these things for a light wizard" Arcturus observed with suspicion. "How long have you been aware of them?" he asked the older man.

"Since the end of Harry's second year when he handed me the diary" Dumbledore sighed. "I have been trying to locate them ever since" he finished.

"And what about the one that was in the boy, how long have you known?" he asked angrily.

"I discovered it at the end of his third year after I ran a scan on his scar once he had driven off the dementors" he explained. "I spent the summer researching a way to remove it without killing him" he added sadly.

"And?" Arcturus asked further with a raised eyebrow.

"I found a way to do it and was going to attempt it after the tournament had finished, I did not know how long he would need to recover and thought that having the entire summer would be sufficient" he explained.

Arcturus nodded.

"And what short of being hit with a killing curse would have done it?" Arcturus asked, clearly curious. "As far as I know they can only be destroyed by fiendfyre and basilisk venom" he added knowingly.

"You are correct" Dumbledore agreed with a nod.

He sighed again before continuing.

"I found a ritual that would allow me to transfer the Horcrux from one vessel to another" he said.

"It can't be that simple" Arcturus replied shaking his head.

"Indeed it is not" Dumbledore responded. "To transfer it from one thing to another it has to be an item of equal power" he explained. "We are aware of how powerful Harry is and I had to take that into consideration, the young man had just driven off over one hundred dementors with a single patronus" he continued. "Finding an item of such power was not difficult in the magical world but I discovered it would not work" he sighed shaking his head.

"Why not?" Arcturus asked.

"Well the Horcrux within Harry had been residing in a living vessel and would need to continue to do so or it would simply break free and seek the other un-housed soul fragment. Tom would then be aware that someone had discovered his secret and he would be free to make another, one that we would have no clue as to where or what it was" he explained further.

"So you had to find a live vessel of equivalent power to Potter to house it in" Arcturus stated.

"Indeed" Dumbledore replied with a nod.

"And?" the other man asked impatiently. "There are very few people as powerful as the boy" he pointed out.

Dumbledore sighed.

"You would be correct" he said inclining his head. "That is why I was going to transfer it to myself" he added.

The rest of the gathered party looked shocked at this proclamation. Even Marlene who prior to this conversation had no idea what a Horcrux was was dumbfounded.

"And what would that have done to you sir?" Harry asked sadly.

"It would have killed me at a reasonable rate, but it would have died with me" he explained nonchalantly. "I am no longer as powerful as I once was so I would have succumbed to it, though not as quickly as most others" he pointed out.

"You would have really done that for the boy?" Arcturus asked sceptically.

"Yes" Dumbledore answered simply. "Not only because the world needs him much more than it needs me but because I care for him that much" he said sincerely looking Harry in the eye.

Harry was very much touched by the sentiment the older man was showing. He had to swallow back a lump but he knew that Dumbledore could see how much it truly meant to him.

"Well I didn't know you had that in you" Arcturus spoke, shaking his head in disbelief. "Any way, it didn't come to that" he pointed out, lifting the mood a little.

"Thank god" Harry whispered.

"We need to get this plan of ours formed in to something more solid, but it is late, we should meet again tomorrow" Arcturus suggested, to which everyone agreed.

Harry and Arcturus made their goodbyes and apparated back home, both retiring the instant they arrived. Harry would not sleep well that night. He thought of the sentiment that Dumbledore had shown him but his thoughts were plagued by the death of both Molly and Ginny. He lay awake in to the very small hours weeping for the two redheads, One, who had been very much like a mother, and the other on her way to becoming a close sister. He would not forget them and he would make those pay that had a hand in their untimely ends.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne Greengrass had not had the peaceful holiday she had envisioned. Not only had she had to tolerate her sister's continual teasing about Harry Potter but she could not even get a respite from the boy. He was plaguing her thoughts constantly and that had been even before all of the articles had appeared in the newspapers. It annoyed her to no end and she could still not understand why she was thinking of him so much, there was even no escape from him while she slept. She would dream about the day he saved her and this had subsequently caused further problems. Her dreams caused her to remember things that she had forgotten about entirely. The thing that stood out above everything else was his smell, after one dream in particular, that was all she could think of.

It wasn't the smell that bothered her per say, it was that the smell could only be identified as 'Harry'. It was not a scent that was comparable to anything else, it was just him. No matter how hard she tried she could not get the boy off her mind and the lack of control she had was what got to her most.

The day the articles started things had only gotten worse. Astoria had happily read them all to her and that one in Teen Witch Weekly had really bothered her. She believed what the article had said knowing that any man as famous, popular and handsome, no, just famous and popular would conduct himself in such a way as the article described and she could not understand why she got a pang in her chest whenever she thought of it.

For some unfathomable reason to herself she had kept all of the articles, except for that one, and found herself looking at them several times a day. She would read them and try to dislike the boy but try as she might they just annoyed her and caused that aforementioned pang to resurface. She hid the articles knowing that her sister would just tease her even more and that she could not handle.

She would be returning to Hogwarts the next day and was spending her final day with Tracey who was trying to get her to talk. She could see that something was bothering Daphne and was unrelenting in her efforts to get her friend to open up.

"Daphne please just talk to me" she pleaded. "I'm your best friend aren't I?" She asked.

"Of course you are" Daphne replied heatedly.

"Then why won't you tell me?, you know you can trust me" the brown haired girl responded.

Daphne sighed. It was not something she wanted to talk about at all but it was starting to become a real problem. She was barely able to focus on anything else and she knew that going back to school she would need to be able to concentrate.

"It's Potter" she said just above a whisper.

"I thought it might be" Tracey replied looking triumphant. "And why is Potter making you act this way?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What way?" Daphne asked frowning.

"You've hardly been yourself these last two weeks" Tracey pointed out. "It's like you're not even really here and you're stuck in there" she said prodding her friend on the forehead who swiped her hand away.

Daphne sighed again defeated.

"I can't stop thinking about him" she admitted reluctantly. "No matter how hard I try not to I can't stop it" she added in irritation.

Tracey raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"What is it you think about?" she asked.

"The day he saved me" she replied quietly.

"And?" the other girl prompted.

"How safe I felt, how comfortable it was and how right it felt" she whispered.

"That's not surprising, I'd feel safe in those arms" Tracey replied causing her friend to frown.

"It wasn't like that" Daphne responded shaking her head. "I feel safe with my Dad but this was different".

"So you like him?" Tracey questioned.

"No" Daphne replied vehemently. "I don't know" she added uncertainly.

"Ok, I'm going to say a boys' name and I want you to tell me the first word you think of" Tracey explained.

"I'm not playing that stupid game" Daphne said firmly.

"Just do it, please" Tracey begged.

"Fine" Daphne agreed unhappily.

"Hmm" Tracey began. "Draco Malfoy" she finally said.

"Ferret" Daphne replied causing Tracey to giggle.

"Vincent Crabbe" Tracey fired quickly.

"Troll" Daphne answered without hesitation.

"Blaise Zabini" she tried.

"Conceited" Daphne responded causing her friend to nod in agreement.

"Neville Longbottom?" Tracey questioned.

"Grandmother issues" Daphne said knowingly.

"Harry Potter" Tracey said as she saw that Daphne had let her guard down.

"Just…Wow" Daphne whispered reluctantly. "Too many words come to mind to pick one" she admitted.

"Oh come on Daph it's obvious" Tracey pointed out. "When have you ever thought of a boy like that?" she asked.

"Never" Daphne replied simply. "Not that it matters" she added. "It's not like it would ever work" she finished.

"And why not?" Tracey asked.

"You heard what Weasley said" Daphne answered. "Potter would never be with a snake" she said dejectedly.

"And what the hell does Weasley know?" Tracey asked heatedly. "The boy is a moron" she stated.

"And there's all those articles" Daphne pointed out causing Tracey to raise her eyebrow again.

"And you really believe them?" she asked. "Come on Daph you're smarter than that" she said to the blonde. "Or do you just want to believe them so you have an excuse to ignore what you feel?" she asked.

"I don't know, but they could be true" Daphne tried weakly.

"I doubt it very much" Tracey responded. "How did you feel when you read them?" she asked.

Daphne hesitated.

"They made me angry" she admitted. "And it hurt a little" she added quietly. "Right here" she finished pointing to her chest.

"Oh you've got it bad" Tracey exclaimed in disbelief. "It made you jealous" she added knowingly.

"It did not" Daphne retorted vehemently.

"Yes it did" Tracey replied firmly. "I have known you all my life Daphne Greengrass and I have never seen you show this much emotion ever" she pointed out, indicating the conversation they were having.

Daphne just sighed and shook her head. She didn't know what to think, although she did feel a little better having spoken to her friend.

"You can't tell anyone" She pleaded.

"Oh come on Daph I wouldn't do that to you, no matter how amusing it is" Tracey replied genuinely. "But you need to figure it out because you can't keep doing this to yourself" she advised waving towards her friend.

"I know" Daphne responded with a sigh. "But what should I do?" she asked.

"That is up to you but an apology to the boy would be a good start" Tracey advised.

"I'm not apologising" Daphne declared stubbornly.

Tracey just shrugged at her friend. This was something she would have to figure out for herself. It was then that Ophelia entered the room and informed them that lunch was ready to which Daphne exited the room as quickly as she could. Ophelia grabbed Tracey by the arm and looked at her questioningly.

"Boy troubles" Tracey answered simply.

"Ahh Harry Potter" Ophelia replied with a nod.

"I knew it was obvious" Tracey responded gleefully.

"A mother always knows" Ophelia sighed as the two left the room to get lunch.

 _(BREAK)_

The week leading up to the funeral of the two Weasley's had been one of the worst for Harry in recent memory. It wasn't that anything else had happened but a gloom had settled in on the young man that he just couldn't shift. He had spent as much of his time alone as possible, trying to distract himself through his training, but he was angry and he found that his magic reflected his mood. Simple blasting and gouging curses would obliterate the dummies he trained with and wrought destruction throughout the room so he resorted to his muggle exercises to try and cope but in reality he just ended up feeling exhausted as well as down.

He had not seen the Weasley's. He had learnt from Dumbledore that they were staying with Molly's aunt Muriel so that they could grieve for their losses in some relative peace without being disturbed. Dumbledore had also informed him that he was completely sure that the wards had been tampered in some way but could not identify specifically what had been done. Although it proved that it was not a mistake that Bill had made with the wards he knew that it would not make it any easier on the man knowing they had been used to kill his mother and sister.

Harry had tried to plan his retrieval of the Horcrux but knew that he was unable to plan effectively in his current mood and state of mind, not until Molly and Ginny had been laid to rest properly.

On the advice of Arcturus Harry had learnt all he could about Dolores Umbridge just in case he was tom encounter her on his excursion in to the castle, something that Arcturus warned was a possibility. 'you must plan for all eventualities' the older man had told him firmly.

He had learnt that Umbridge was certainly not fit to be a teacher in any capacity and certainly had no place at Hogwarts. Her grades were deplorable overall in her academic studies and her only saving grace had been her fairly high standard of theory work, but with a wand, anyone could see she was useless. She was bigoted also and the more Harry read about her the more he disliked the woman. She had introduced and backed bills that would allow employers to be prejudice towards creatures and those inflicted with illnesses such as lycanthropy and vampirism and other legislations that would prevent them from having satisfactory lives. There was a small part of Harry that wished he would encounter the disgraceful woman so he could give her a piece of his mind.

But that would have to wait. As it was Harry was stood on some of the land that the Weasley's owned, tucked away from the Burrow, in which many people had gathered to witness Molly and Ginny being laid to rest.

Knowing that he would only cause a distraction and take the attention away from the people of whom this day was about, he opted to attend wearing his invisibility cloak and stood away some distance from the service. He knew there would be chance for him to pay his respects when the funeral was concluded.

He watched as the members of the order of the phoenix and the Weasley's in turn paid tribute to the duo. He watched as the coffins were lowered in to the ground and the head stones were given their inscriptions and he watched as the people gathered cried and comforted each other. Harry cried with them, he did not even try to prevent the tears. This was the first funeral he had ever attended and he was sure it would not be his last. But he was damn sure that he would prevent as many as them as possible.

As much as he wanted to he did not approach the crowd. Both Sirius and Dumbledore knew he would be there but this was not the moment for him to offer his condolences, he would have that chance later. He waited for the crowd to leave and approached the freshly filled graves. He said nothing, but conjured a rose for each one and placed them in front of the stones. He allowed himself to cry a little more and was stunned as he heard a voice behind him.

"You see now what it is we face" Dumbledore said sadly.

"But I can't save them all" Harry replied downheartedly removing his cloak.

"No you cannot" Dumbledore answered simply. "That is not your responsibility Harry, no matter how hard that is to accept" he added. "People have to be responsible for themselves and their actions, you are only one man Harry and try as you might you cannot save them all, as is the burden of being a man such as you and I" he continued. "People hold those like us accountable for casualties and will aim their grief at us because they simply cannot face that they could have, in fact done something to prevent what has happened" he finished knowingly.

"Nothing could have been done to prevent this though" Harry pointed out.

"Again you are right" Dumbledore responded with a bow. "But it does not prevent the grief and it does not make it hurt any less" he explained.

Harry just nodded in response knowing that Dumbledore was right, no matter how difficult it was to admit, he was right. He was only one man and he could not save anyone. It was not just up to him to fight this war and those who did not want to live under a regime created by Riddle would have to do their part to stop it from happening.

"I'm sorry professor but I have one more stop to make" Harry said.

"Ahh, young Miss Lovegood" he replied knowingly with a nod. "If you wouldn't mind the company I will join you, she was after all a student of mine" he added.

Harry was grateful for the offer and gladly accepted with a nod. With that the two apparated the short distance to the Lovegood home.

They arrived on a large expanse of land in which a very obscure tower-like building was situated in the centre. Harry could see there were two men standing a short distance from them and he and Dumbledore approached.

"Albus?" a man dressed in yellow robes questioned as he approached the headmaster.

"Xenophilius" Dumbledore greeted the man with a warm handshake. "I am very sorry for your loss, I hope we are not intruding?" he asked gesturing to his companion.

"Not at all" the man replied and caught sight of Harry. "Mr Potter, I was not aware that you knew my Luna" he said addressing Harry with a bow.

"I didn't know her personally sir, but I wanted to pay my respects" he responded with a humble bow.

"Thank you" Mr Lovegood replied genuinely and offered his hand which Harry took. Upon taking his hand Xenophilius pulled away quickly and rubbed his hand.

"My apologies Mr Potter, I was not expecting to feel such strong magic from you, I should have known though" he added knowingly.

Harry was confused and looked at Dumbledore for an explanation.

"Ahh, Mr Lovegood here is very adept at feeling magic" he explained.

"And yours is exceptionally strong Mr Potter" the other man cut in. "So protective, yet dangerous, you must have particularly good control of it" he said nodding.

"I like to think so sir" Harry replied.

"Anyway, it was not me you came to see, we have already buried Luna" he said trying to control his emotions.

"Do you mind?" Harry questioned gesturing to the grave he could see.

"Please" Mr Lovegood replied allowing them to pass to visit the grave.

"What were her favourite flowers?" Harry asked the man who was now losing control of his composure.

"She liked Lillies" he replied with a sob.

Harry took out his wand and conjured a dozen of the flowers bunched and tied together with a yellow ribbon to match the man's robes.

"Thank you Mr Potter" Mr Lovegood said gratefully. "It seems that it is just me now" he intoned sadly. "You see Luna lost her mother at a very young age and it was just us" he explained. "Her mother was such a gifted witch and Luna was the same, but this was the first year that she had made some friends" he continued. "She was an eccentric girl, but brilliant in her own way" he finished.

"I'm sure she was" Harry replied. "And losing her like this must be very hard for you".

"Was it truly an accident?" the man asked. "I know young William is excellent at what he does, I find it hard to believe that he would make such a mistake" he finished confidently.

Harry looked towards Dumbledore who sighed.

"No it was not an accident, the wards were purposely tampered with" he explained.

"I thought as much" Xenophilius responded. "Was it him?" he asked.

"Yes" Dumbledore replied simply.

"So he is back" he stated. "Luna said as much but I didn't want to believe it" he added shaking his head. "You will stop him won't you Albus?" he asked the headmaster who shook his head.

"I am afraid not Xenophilius" he said sadly. "I couldn't stop him now even if I wanted to" he explained. "I am far too old and not as quick or as powerful as I once was, I fear that Tom has surpassed me now" he continued. "It will be up to those younger than myself to stop him and young Mr Potter here will be at the forefront of that" he finished.

He turned to look at Harry critically and nodded his approval after a moment.

"As is your right Mr Potter" he began. "None have suffered at his hands as much as you have, please stop him" he finished pleadingly. "Please don't let my Luna have died as nothing but a step towards his success" he begged and began to sob uncontrollably.

Harry could feel a rage heavy set in as he watched the emotion the man was experiencing. It all came back to Riddle, it was all because of him. Harry placed a hand on the man's shoulder causing him to look up.

Xenophilius could see a brightly simmering emerald fire and could feel the magic pulsing through the boy. It was powerful, yet comforting.

"I will sir" Harry vowed. "I will stop him if it is the last thing I do" he added quietly.

They spent a little more time with the man and his companion, who turned out to be a priest who had conducted the funeral of the young girl. After listening to the man tell stories about his wife and daughter, Harry was reminded of that moment he had witnessed on the ferry to France between the young girl and her father. It seemed much more important to him now, that small moment. Not that he had taken it for granted but now after meeting a grieving father who had lost his daughter it truly put into perspective how important those moments were.

The young man and the headmaster left the Lovegood home feeling truly humbled. Harry knew he had done the right thing by visiting because if anything it had steeled his resolve further and caused the words of the headmaster he spoke at the graves of Molly and Ginny to set in. He could not hold himself accountable for every catastrophe, both Arcturus and Dumbledore had told him and he had even witnessed it in the pensieve with what his grandfather had allowed to happen to him by carrying his guilt the way he did. It made him truly appreciate his grandmother even more who always managed to keep her husband thinking clearly and not burdening himself with things he could not control. His grandfather had learnt the hard way, but harry would not allow things to come to pass for himself in that manner. He understood his limitations although he did not like them at all. But he was one man after all as Dumbledore had said and there was little he could do to change them. He had his responsibilities and they were his to face but it was not up to him to accept the responsibilities of others. He would fight for all of them but they had to fight for themselves also, it was the only way that they would win.

 _(BREAK)_

Dolores Umbridge was feeling very happy at Hogwarts despite having to put up with the disgusting children here. With Dumbledore out of the way she had managed to take control of the castle and even subdue the children to a manageable degree. She had her inquisitorial squad on continual patrols and the staff had also been quelled in their continual attempts at interference. She had Cornelius to thank for that. Not only had he given her the headmistress position he had even provided her with 3 of his personal guards to ensure there was no resistance. If there was then the perpetrators would find themselves expelled instantly and if the staff was stupid enough to try to intervene then they would find themselves dismissed from the castle just as quickly rendering the small amount of protection they gave the students completely useless. How could they protect them when they were not here to do so? Yes she had seized the hold on the school that she wanted to. There was however, one small problem.

She knew from since before Christmas that a certain group of students had been meeting in secret, discussing who knows what, and though she could not prove who they were she had her ideas, but their luck was going to run out soon enough. All she had to do was wait, one of them would slip up and when they did they would all be made to pay.

She rolled one of her treasured blood quills through her fingers and smirked at the thought of seeing them suffer. 'Yes, they will pay for disobeying me' she thought to herself.

 _(BREAK)_

A week had passed since the funerals and Harry found that since he had grieved he was starting to feel much better, though the rage he felt towards Riddle and his followers had not subsided, he doubted that it ever would and secretly hoped that it wouldn't.

Arcturus and Dumbledore had been spending a lot of time together discussing their plans and seemed to be working well together, surprisingly. The two men had helped Harry complete his plan and he was ready to enter the castle via one of the secret passageways, he of course would be using the map and his cloak knowing that he could enter and roam the castle at will undetected. He had been studying the map and had noticed that there was always a presence in the corridors, a few labels he did not recognise and some he knew too well. The Slytherins seemed to have gained some kind of authority from what he observed as there was always some of them present from fifth year and up in the corridors. The rest of the houses seemed to spend all of their time away from lessons in their common rooms or dormitories, something that Harry found odd. Overall the castle seemed to be much quieter than he was used to but he did not dwell on it, it would certainly make collecting the diadem much easier.

 _(BREAK)_

Hermione Granger had been working very hard since the students had returned to school to arrange a meeting between the usual attendees, it had been quite some time since the last. Life in the castle had simply become unbearable it resembled more of a prison than an educational establishment. All incoming and outgoing mail was scanned and read before it was allowed to make its way to the intended recipient. Umbridge and her squad of sycophants had well and truly taken control of the castle in Dumbledore's absence, an absence that was questionable at best as the students had not been given an explanation as to why.

At first the students had been relieved by the presence of the 3 aurors thinking that they would rein in and prevent Umbridge from being as terrible as she was but that relief had been short-lived. The three men were just as bad as she was and would report students for the most trivial thing and enjoy seeing them being punished. Hermione could not understand how these men were aurors, the forefront of protection in the magical community.

Ron and the twins had returned to the castle shortly after the funeral. Hermione suspected that they weren't finished grieving but from what the trio had said they could no longer stand living with their great aunt any longer. They had been subdued and very quiet since they had come back and it was a sad sight to see, particularly with the twins, who were always able to lift the mood of the students no matter how bad things were. There had been an announcement of Luna and Ginny's deaths but it was executed without emotion and seemed more of a footnote at the end of the other less meaningless announcements at the return feast.

It had taken almost 3 weeks to set the meeting up and here they were now. There were no smiles and many of the students looked tired and completely disheartened.

"Does anyone have any news?" Hermione asked the group.

"We can't even get mail without it being invaded" Susan Bones sighed irritably. "I tried to speak to my aunt about everything but she was barely home all holiday because of the problems with Azkaban and the whole Pettigrew thing" she explained.

"All I know is that this place is unbearable now" Tracey cut in. "Malfoy and the rest of her squad are even making our common room and dorms miserable" she continued exasperatedly. "We can't even do our homework without them breathing down our necks and having a private conversation is impossible" she complained.

"What can we do about it?" Neville asked.

"Nothing unless you want to be expelled, you heard Umbridge talk about her zero tolerance policy, she definitely means it" Hannah Abbott answered.

"We have just under two months to get through" Hermione tried. "At least we managed to get all of our spell work down for our OWLS earlier on in the year" she added clearly relieved by that at least.

"I bet Potter is glad he didn't come back this year, he seems fairly happy" Astoria said with a grin.

"Shut up Tori" Daphne hissed through gritted teeth.

She figured that her sister was taking advantage of the fact they were away from Malfoy and his cronies and could openly bait her sister.

Before anything else could be said there was a sick and sweetly voice heard from the doorway.

"Oh dear" the voice simpered. "A group of students meeting without permission and admitting to breaking the rules, tut tut" she continued. "Round them up" she commanded the group who were stood in her wake waiting for the go-ahead to bring them in.

The students who had been caught did not hesitate and began firing spells at Umbridge and her group knowing that they now had nothing to lose. They managed to break free from the room and split up to confuse their pursuers. Things were finally coming to a head at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry apparated into Hogsmeade and made his way to Honeydukes so that he could make his way through the passage there. He had decided to use this passage instead of the one in the shack as it took straight to the fifth floor and much closer to where he needed to be. It didn't take him long to access the passageway as the shop was still busy so he slipped through the crowd with ease.

Upon reaching the end of the tunnel he removed the map from his jeans and consulted it to check that the coast was clear, it was. There were a few small groups dotted around but most of the students were either in the Great Hall with Umbridge and her goons or in their common rooms.

He exited the tunnel and followed the instructions that Pettigrew had given him. He reached the 7th floor and found the tapestry of Barnabus the barmy teaching some trolls how to dance, it was quite an amusing depiction.

He walked backwards and forwards thinking that he needed the room of hidden things and on his third pass a large very old oak door appeared.

He entered the room and was amazed at what he found. The room was stacked from floor to ceiling with various items of furniture, books and many other items. Instead of wasting an opportunity like this he called for Dobby who appeared instantly wearing what seemed to be a dragonhide jacket and matching trousers.

"Dobby" he addressed the elf. "I want you to go through this room and find anything that could be useful" he instructed. "If you find anything valuable then open up a new vault with Gringotts and place it in there, I'm sure the school could use the gold" he finished.

"Yes Harry Potter sir" Dobby answered with a salute and began the arduous task.

Harry went about his own task looking for the diadem and found it much quicker than he had anticipated, he felt it before he could see it. He could feel the strong wave of hatred coming from the item that was conveniently boxed for him.

"Dobby" he called again. "Could you take this to Baron Black please" he requested. "Do not touch the thing inside the box though it is very dangerous" he instructed firmly.

Dobby shuddered as he took the box but disappeared nonetheless. He appeared again a moment later and informed Harry that he had done as he asked to which Harry thanked him.

Harry left Dobby to his work and exited the room. He opened the map again to make sure the coast was clear for him to leave unencumbered. What he saw made him frown. The majority of the students were in their common rooms as before but there were around 40 people in the Great Hall, a strangely mixed group that Harry suspected would not be in such close proximity of each other voluntarily. He checked the time and saw that dinner had been finished some time ago. Harry was confused and looked at the other groups on the map. Nothing seemed particularly out of place. He recognised some of the names and they all seemed to be with people in their own houses, he shrugged.

He was making his way down the fifth floor corridor again when he heard a raised voice coming from a classroom on his right and paused to listen.

"I should of known you and your disgrace of a sister were fraternising with the enemy" the familiar voice shouted. "Hold her still I'm going to teach the whore… argh you dare hit me? _Crucio"_ the voice finished with a roar.

Harry was immediately furious. He had been on the receiving end of the curse himself and knew how painful it was. He didn't hesitate, he flicked his wand into his hand and aimed it towards the door, blasting it into a thousand pieces.

The occupants of the room were shocked to see a rage-filled Harry Potter enter looking murderous.

Harry recognised them all immediately; Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott. Malfoy had his wand pointed towards the crumpled form of Daphne Greengrass who was twitching and screaming on the floor.

Harry growled and fired a bludgeoning hex at the blonde boy banishing him face first with a sickening crunch into the wall. The other three simply gaped at the turn of events and before they could react they were all stunned and bound on the floor in thick black chains.

He approached the prone form of the quivering girl and reached out to grab her shoulder gently so not to startle her. She whimpered and recoiled further at his touch.

"It's ok Miss Greengrass, you're safe now" he comforted her quietly, causing the girl to turn to him slowly her eyes full of tears.

"Potter?" she asked just above a whisper in disbelief.

"Yeah it's me" he replied with a soft smile.

Without hesitation the girl flung herself into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Harry instantly wrapped his arms around her and held the distraught girl to him closely.

"It's ok you don't have to worry anymore" Harry whispered attempting to both calm and comfort the girl. "I will make sure he ends up in Azkaban" he vowed to her.

It seemed to ease the girl considerably being held by him and he couldn't help but notice how comfortable it was for her to be there, something just felt right. It wasn't like a hug that Mrs Weasley would give him nor Hermione. This was gentle and did not suffocate him the same way. He could feel a tingle running through him at her touch and her scent was something he had never experienced. It was simply intoxicating, a smell he would never forget. Reluctantly he gently removed the girl from his arms and looked at her, she was definitely much calmer now.

"He was going to rape me" she suddenly said clearly still shocked by what had happened.

"Is that right?" Harry replied, his expression darkening considerably.

"That's why I kicked him" she replied quietly and began to shake again.

He turned and approached the boy on the ground and looked at him with disgust.

"So you've gone from being a nuisance to a disgusting criminal have you Malfoy?" he questioned the blonde who was looking terrified. "What's wrong Draco? Don't like it when there is someone who can fight back?" he asked. "You are going to Azkaban you filthy little bastard and good riddance to you, but first" he continued looking at the boy with complete contempt before stomping with all of his might between the boys legs causing him to scream. "That's what you get for trying, had you succeeded I would have removed it" he spat.

He bound the boy in chains as he had his companions and turned to face the girl again.

"What the hell is going on in this castle?" he asked her.

"Umbridge" Daphne answered simply.

Harry removed the map and checked it and saw that the same group were still in the Great Hall.

"What is that about?" he asked the blonde indicating the strange assembly of people.

"Oh no, she caught them all" she noted worriedly. "We have been meeting since the beginning of the year and she and her idiot squad caught us" She explained.

"I assume that's not a good thing" Harry intoned.

"They'll all be expelled" Daphne responded.

Harry let out a deep breath. "How bad is it?" he questioned the girl.

"Unbearable" she replied despondently.

"Ok I'll check it out" he conceded, this was not the plan but it seemed like he had no choice now seeing how bad it was for himself especially what he had witnessed here.

"I'm coming with you" Daphne said clinging to him again.

Harry could see she felt vulnerable and didn't want to be alone.

"Ok" he replied removing his cloak from his pocket. "Cover those morons with this, we will have to take them with us" he instructed.

"Wow an invisibility cloak" Daphne said in awe taking the cloak. "And what is that map?" she asked pointing to the parchment.

"Something my Dad and his friends made" he replied dismissively.

Daphne covered the other 4 in the cloak and walked back and clung to Harry again.

"Why are you here anyway, shouldn't you be with your harem or something?" she questioned the boy a little bitterly.

Harry just raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head.

"You shouldn't believe what you read in the media Miss Greengrass" he suggested.

"So you're not holstering your wand all over the world?" she asked with a smirk causing Harry to sigh.

"You read that article too?" he questioned her exasperatedly.

"Oh come on Potter" she responded. "There must be some truth in it, you said yourself that there is some truth in rumours" she pointed out.

"Not in this case" he denied vehemently. "I can assure you I have not been holstering my wand anywhere" he denied sincerely.

This certainly silenced Daphne. Either Potter was a very good liar or he was in fact telling the truth.

"Do you know the disillusionment charm?" he asked her to which she shook her head. "Ok come here" he requested.

He placed the charm on them both and pulled her close to him so not to lose her and levitated the four beneath the cloak behind them. They made their way to the Great Hall and entered to another scene that made Harry very angry.

He saw many people he recognised cut or injured to some degree sat at a single table on the left, the rest of the furniture had been banished to the other side of the room.

He saw Hermione, Ron and various other members of his house and others even a couple of Slytherins. The state of them made Harry see red.

Umbridge was stood at the head of the table with three aurors and a collection of older Slytherin students clearly keeping watch over the roughly handled group. His anger rose to the point where he lost control of his magic and the disillusionment charms and levitation charm ended causing the four under the cloak to hit the ground with a loud clank.

Everyone turned to see Harry Potter stood in the door way with his arm wrapped around a Slytherin girl. The group at the table simply stared open mouthed at the two while Umbridge and her cohorts stared dumbly.

"What the fuck is going on here" Harry demanded angrily.

Umbridge snapped out of her stupor and approached him addressing him in a sickly voice that made his skin crawl.

"Ahh, Mr Potter I assume?" she questioned. "And Miss Greengrass, we have been looking all over for you" she simpered.

Harry instinctively pulled the girl behind him protectively.

"You must be Umbridge" Harry replied neutrally. "I heard that you looked like a toad but I didn't realise the resemblance was so uncanny" he said with disgust causing the woman to flush in anger and a few stifled bouts of laughter to break out from the seated students.

"How dare you" she screeched.

It was then she noticed the four bound students that were partially visible from where the cloak had slipped off.

"Oh I will have you locked up for this" she hissed gesturing to the students on the ground.

Harry saw some of the Slytherin students stood with the aurors reaching slowly for their wands.

"If any of you reach any closer for those I will peel your arseholes up over your ears" he warned dangerously causing them to stop in their tracks and look at one another stupidly. "And you will find it will be Mr Malfoy who will be going to Azkaban and I will push for him to be executed, the Cruciatus does carry a life sentence after all" he said knowingly to which Umbridge blanched.

"You Mr Potter are trespassing" she screeched. "You are not a student here this year and whatever happens within these walls is not your concern" she spat.

"I think you'll find that when students are being treated like this" he said gesturing to the seated group, "then it is everyone's concern" he retorted.

Umbridge began backing away to the safety of her own group and spoke when she reached them.

"You will regret this Potter" she vowed to the young man wagging a finger towards him. "These aurors are going to be taking you in" she told him confidently.

"Aurors?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows. "Aurors are supposed to protect the magical community and if they are allowing some of the most vulnerable people in it to be subject to this then they are not aurors they are scumbags just like you" Harry replied casually readying himself for the inevitable attack.

"Dawlish" Umbridge screeched. "Arrest him" she commanded.

Dawlish stepped forward with a sneer on his face. He drew his wand but he was not quick enough. In a blink of an eye Harry had drawn his wand and fired a bonebreaker hitting the man in the knee, causing him to collapse to the ground screaming in pain. He then hit Daphne with a cushioning charm and wandlessly banished her to the side.

The other two aurors drew their wands and went on the attack. Harry dodged the spells with ease making sure the line of fire was not aimed at the students.

He caught the spell of one of the aurors and hissed at it, sending it back to its caster with blistering speed. The spell found its mark and as it hit the man a very large green snake appeared and coiled itself around him, wrestling the man to the ground.

" _Hold him"_ Harry hissed at the snake which quickly subdued the auror it had in its grasp.

" _Avada Kedavra"_ the last man screamed and a jet of green light hurtled towards Harry who did not have time to dodge. Instinctively he conjured a brick wall that managed to form just in time to be struck by the curse smashing it into several dozen pieces which Harry quickly banished at the man, hitting him with several of the fragments. He then quickly bound him in the same black chains he had used earlier and did the same to the whimpering Dawlish who was still clutching his legs.

" _Crucio"_ he heard Umbridge screech and felt the curse hit him before he could react.

There was no doubt in his mind that it was painful but it was nothing compared to Riddle's or even any other types of pain he had felt in his life. Umbridge really was a weak witch.

He turned to look at her in annoyance as she was trying with all of her effort to cause as much pain to the teen as possible. Harry growled and simply banished her with a flick of his wand and bound her the same way he had her cohorts.

He turned to see the rest of the students looking at him in awe. Before he could even think of saying a word a brown blur had launched itself into his arms and he found himself in the crushing embrace of Hermione.

"Harry" she shouted with joy. "What are you doing here?" she questioned.

"It's good to see you too Hermione" Harry replied shaking his head. "I had to get something" he spoke in a tone that meant she should not ask any further questions which she understood.

"Decided to show yourself at last then" a bitter voice cut in.

Harry turned to see Ron who looked terrible. The boy was glaring at Harry who was just shocked by his attitude and appearance.

"You come back and save a snake, but where were you when my mum and Ginny needed you?" the redhead shouted. "What we aren't good enough for you anymore, is that it? you didn't even come to the funeral" he spat in disgust.

Harry was furious with the boy. He felt bad for him but he would not allow him to vent on him or blame him for things that were out of his control.

"I think you'll find Ronald I was at the funeral" Harry replied coldly. "I went under my cloak so I wouldn't be a distraction when that day was about them" he explained.

Ron just gaped but managed to compose himself.

"They still died Harry, and where were you, you're supposed to be this great and powerful wizard but you couldn't save them could you" he spat again. "And then you just turn up here and you're using dark magic and saving snakes" he added.

"Let me explain something to you, all of you" Harry replied addressing the room. "It is not my responsibility to save you all if I can then I will but you have to take responsibility for yourselves, I am only one person I can't save everyone" he said heatedly. "Let me ask you something Ron" he continued to the shocked room. "It's been almost a year since you've known he's back, what have you done to prepare?" he asked rhetorically. "Let me guess, you've sat on your arse talking about quidditch and slacking off" Harry deducted and seeing the guilty look on the boy's face, he knew he was right.

"We've been practicing" Hermione cut in timidly.

"What have you been working on?" Harry asked slightly surprised.

"Stunning and disarming and a few jinxes you learnt last year" she explained causing Harry to shake his head.

In a flash Harry had drawn his wand and stunned her and turned to address the shocked group.

"If you were in a fight and you found your friend like this" he said gesturing to the unconscious girl, "what would you do?" he asked.

Neville stepped forward and pointed his wand at Hermione. _"Ennervate"_ he said confidently rousing the girl.

"Don't you think the Death Eaters know that?" Harry asked them exasperatedly. "Stunners are for aurors wanting to arrest someone and have no place on a battlefield" he intoned shaking his head.

"Then why don't you teach us?" Neville asked.

"I can't teach you what I use" Harry replied shaking his head.

"What because you'll go to Azkaban for using dark magic" Ron asked sarcastically.

"No because it is my family magic" Harry explained causing those who understood to nod. "But I have some books that I can send you" he offered.

"So your family is dark?" Ron asked. "I knew it, that's why you saved the snake" he said nodding. "That's it" he suddenly said in realisation. "It must have been one of the snakes who snitched on us" he shouted triumphantly.

Harry just shook his head at the boy.

"How do you know it was a Slytherin?" he asked the redhead.

"Oh come on Harry" he pleaded. "You can't trust any of them they're all on his side, there has never been a decent person from slytherin" he finished confidently.

"My grandmother was a Slytherin" Harry replied coldly causing his friend to pale. "And she was a healer and was not dark" he added glaring at the boy.

"Your grandmother was a snake" Ron stammered.

"Yes, Dorea Potter who was born Dorea Black" he explained to the gaping group who had speculated on this very subject. "And I would have been a slytherin also if I didn't meet that prat before the sorting" he explained pointing at Malfoy. "I had to beg the hat not to put me with him" he finished a little bitterly.

"You were almost a snake?" Ron asked wide-eyed.

"I am just as much a Black as I am a Potter" Harry answered with a shrug. "You soon learn though that houses mean nothing away from here" he explained. "Everywhere you could get a job will have a mix of houses, it means nothing" he finished firmly.

The students in the room thought on what Harry had said.

"Where are the rest of the professors?" he asked the rest of the students.

"They have to stay in their own quarters after 7pm" Daphne answered shyly.

Harry shook his head and placed his wand to his throat.

"Can everyone in the castle please come to the Great Hall" his amplified voice sounded throughout the building.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he intoned quietly and whispered to his Thestral which then galloped out of the castle.

"Miss Greengrass I am going to be taking these to the ministry" he explained gesturing to the bound people. "Would you mind coming with me? Your father will be there, I just need you to explain what happened" he requested of the girl who just nodded her consent.

"Thank you" Harry replied giving her a warm smile and causing her to blush.

"What on earth is going on here?" the shocked voice of Professor McGonagall rang throughout the hall.

"Just dealing with some vermin Professor" Harry replied giving the older witch a cheeky salute.

"Potter?" She asked disbelievingly. "What are you doing here?".

"Just visiting" Harry answered with a shrug. "It turns out that Madame Umbridge and her associates" he said gesturing to the various bound people, "were either torturing or allowing people to be tortured" he explained clearly disgusted.

"It had gotten that bad?" the witch asked clearly upset.

"It had" Harry replied. "But I will be taking them with me so you shouldn't worry" he spoke comfortingly.

"You have to call the aurors" she replied urgently.

"Professor three of these are aurors, apparently" he responded gesturing to the men in the red robes.

"Potter you are going to be in so much trouble" she gasped worriedly.

"Well I have apprehended an attempted rapist who also used the cruciatus curse and 3 so called aurors who attacked me and clearly allowed other students to be mistreated" he explained causing the woman to pale considerably. "Oh and that disgusting toad who tried a piss-poor attempt at using the cruciatus on me" he added. "I'm sure the wizengamot will be lenient" he finished.

"Rape?" she gasped disbelievingly.

"It seems that our resident ferret here like to get his kicks like that" he replied coldly.

"And why is Mr Malfoy in such a deplorable state?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Self-defence Professor" Harry replied innocently to which the woman just shook her head.

It was then that Harry noticed a small girl at the front of the crowd who had blood on the back of her hand and clutching a red quill. He frowned and approached.

"Can I see your hand?" he asked kneeling in front of the girl who looked very nervous but passed it to him. What he saw made him furious.

"How did this happen Miss?" he asked her.

The girl said nothing but handed him the quill which was clearly not ordinary.

"Do you know what this is?" he turned and asked McGonagall showing her the quill. She just frowned and shook her head.

"It is a blood-quill" Snape cut in in shock.

"I assume it is dark if you know what it is" Harry replied.

Snape nodded.

"And very illegal, they are only to be used for signing certain documents, they are heavily regulated" he explained still apparently shocked.

"Did Umbridge make you use this?" Harry questioned the girl who nodded.

"Ok, I want you to tell professor McGonagall all about it" Harry instructed. "She will make sure it gets passed to the aurors" he finished. "Is there anyone else that this has happened to?" he asked the room and several tentative hands were raised.

Harry growled.

"All of you write down what happened and pass it to a professor" he instructed them all.

"What is your name?" Harry asked the young girl softly.

"Natalie McDonald sir" she answered quietly.

"Well Natalie, I'm Harry" he said giving her a smile. "Colin?" he called causing the mousey-haired boy to approach. "Could you take a picture of this?" he asked gesturing to the wound. The boy complied immediately and Handed Harry the photo which he pocketed along with the quill.

"Now Natalie, would you like me to heal that for you?" he asked the girl again who just nodded shyly. "OK it might hurt a little at first but I promise it will feel better after" he explained.

He drew his wand and traced the wound hissing gently in parseltongue. The girl hissed a little in pain but didn't pull away.

"See" Harry said placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, "all better" he added with a smile.

"Thank you" the girl whispered.

"Now all that is left is for me to receive my reward" Harry declared with a nod.

The girl hesitated for a moment but reached in to her pocket and pulled out a single silver sickle and held it out to Harry.

"It's all I have sir" she said disappointedly.

Harry just shook his head and chuckled.

"I already have more money than I could ever spend" he informed her. "I was thinking something more along the line of a hug from a pretty girl" he added with a grin.

The girl looked around clearly looking for a girl that he could hug.

"I meant you" Harry confirmed with a chuckle and opened his arms.

The girl approached him nervously and Harry pulled her into his arms and picked her up causing her to giggle.

"Definitely worth the effort" he declared placing her gently back on her feet.

"For fuck sake Potter you come here for the simplest of things and I find you here hugging children, angling for Fudge's job are we?" Arcturus asked entering the room.

"Never" Harry replied firmly. "But I am planning on giving him a huge kick up the arse" he added. "Now make yourself useful you grouchy old git and start taking these" he instructed gesturing to the bound people. "You did call the meeting?" he finished questioningly.

"Watch your tongue you insolent bastard, you're already in for a cursing and yes I called the meeting, I, unlike yourself am not a complete moron" he retorted angrily.

"Language, there are children around" Harry pointed out.

"No worse than what they say" the older man grumbled but began levitating the people out of the hall, he made several portkey's and placed them on the bodies causing them to disappear. "The old coot is waiting for them in the antechamber" he explained.

Without saying a word he left the castle and headed towards the gates to apparate, he was not fond of portkey's.

"Shall we Miss Greengrass" Harry addressed the girl offering her his arm which she blushed at but accepted.

"When will we see you again Harry?" Hermione asked.

"We will catch up soon, I promise" he replied sincerely to his friend. He was sad to be leaving but he had other things to attend to.

Before they exited Tracey gave Daphne a grin and a wink to which the girl blushed at an even deeper shade of red.

Harry led the blonde through the gates.

"Have you ever apparated before?" he asked.

"Yes, my father takes me along sometimes" Daphne replied.

Harry took her arm and apparated them away, it was going to be a long night.

 _(BREAK)_

The pair appeared outside the ministry and Harry caught Daphne as she stumbled to which she smiled nervously. They quickly made their way through the empty atrium and past the guard on the desk who just seemed to stare at Harry apprehensively while checked their wands in. It wasn't long before they found themselves in the antechamber Where Arcturus and a very angry and upset Dumbledore were waiting for them.

"Is what I have been told true?" the headmaster asked sadly.

"Yes Professor" Harry replied. "Malfoy and his friends here did try to assault Miss Greengrass in that disgusting way and the aurors here facilitated Umbridge and her disgusting forms of Punishment. She and Malfoy both used the cruciatus curse also and the last 3", he indicated to Nott, Crabbe and Goyle, "were helping Malfoy in his attempt" he finished angrily.

"I see" he sighed. "I am sorry you had to experience that Miss Greengrass" he said remorsefully.

"You have nothing to apologise for sir" the blonde replied genuinely. "It was lucky that Potter was there" she added, swallowing at thought of what could have transpired.

Harry saw this and put a comforting arm around her.

"Cornelius really is not going to like this" Dumbledore mused shaking his head. "These are some of his personal guard, his secretary and all of these students have parents in there" he finished.

"Well Fudge should have kept a tighter reign on his staff and chosen his associates more carefully because right now I don't give a damn about Fudge, this might not get him kicked out of office but it will certainly give him some much needed accurate publicity" Harry explained angrily.

"Or he could ruin your reputation and have you thrown in Azkaban" Arcturus pointed out.

"I don't care about my reputation either and I very much doubt that Azkaban would be so difficult to break out of without the dementors" he shrugged in reply.

"Very well" Dumbledore intoned. "The room is ready and I believe Baron Black managed to inform the media" he added, his eyes gently twinkling once again.

"We can't afford for him to cover it up" the other man explained.

 _(BREAK)_

Cornelius Fudge was very annoyed as he sat in his seat waiting for this no doubt pointless session to begin. He had been at home enjoying a very fine glass of scotch when he got the call and of course he immediately sent for Lucius as he always did for aid in meetings such as these.

He was at the edge of his patience when the door to the chamber opened revealing Albus Dumbledore and Arcturus Black, just the sight of them had him on edge. He was about to address the pair when he spotted none other than Harry Potter and an unfamiliar blonde teen, it was what the boy that was levitating behind him that caught the man short.

"Daphne?" Jonathan Greengrass called to his daughter who immediately ran in to her father's arms. "What is going on?" he questioned the girl.

"It's ok Dad Harry stopped them" She answered cryptically.

Before the two could speak anymore Fudge found his voice.

"How dare you Potter, those are my aurors and my Senior undersecretary" he roared spraying spittle in various directions and turning purple.

Harry was undeterred by the man's anger and was immediately filled with rage himself.

"No Fudge, how dare you" he replied dangerously. "How dare you expose school children to filth like this" he hissed gesturing to the pile of bodies.

"Excuse me?" the man replied clearly taken aback by the lack of fear and venom in the boys voice.

"You heard me" Harry growled angrily. "Your undersecretary and these sorry excuses for aurors were torturing children and this disgrace of a human being" he added pointing to Malfoy, "attempted to rape a young lady" Harry finished, the emerald fire roaring in his eyes.

Fudge just sputtered dumbly clearly not knowing what to say.

"Is that my son?" Malfoy asked disbelievingly and wide-eyed.

"Yes it is" Harry spat. "He and his friends here tried to rape Miss Greengrass and your idiot son used the Cruciatus curse on her" he explained to the blonde man who was quickly looking nervous.

"Is that true" Jonathan Greengrass roared as he got to his feet.

"It is sir" Harry replied. "But they were unsuccessful beyond the curse" Harry answered trying to placate the man. "There is an abundance of proof and I am happy to be questioned in any way you see fit, I am sure those four won't be so keen to be questioned under veritaserum" he finished knowingly.

The entirety of the room was in shock, this was not something they had envisioned would be occurring during this meeting.

Jonathan simply wrapped his arms around his daughter and took his seat again looking very pale at the thought of what could have happened to his little girl.

Harry took advantage of the silence and addressed Amelia Bones.

"Madame Bones, what is the current sentence for attempted rape?" he asked.

"Attempted rape is 5 years in Azkaban" she replied shaking herself from the shock.

"And the use of the cruciatus curse?" he followed up with.

"That would get you a life sentence or execution" she answered, her expression darkening.

"And the killing curse carries the same even for aurors unless it is a life or death situation, am I right?" he asked further.

"Indeed you are Lord Potter" she informedm.

"And what about this?" he asked removing the quill and the photo from his pocket and handing it to her. She paled when she recognised the offending item.

"Where did you get this?" she asked seriously.

"Madame Umbridge was forcing children to write with it as punishment" he explained. "The other students are all writing statements and I imagine they will find their way to you soon enough" he surmised.

"Well that will most definitely see Madame Umbridge in prison for the rest of her days" Amelia responded.

"Can you not see the boy is lying" Lucius Malfoy tried desperately.

"I have more than enough evidence to prove it Malfoy, are you questioning my honour?" Harry asked the man dangerously his eyes beginning to glow again.

Malfoy faltered at the glare the boy was giving him and swallowed deeply. He was rescued from the staring match by Fudge.

"For goodness sake the boy is clearly deranged" he shouted pointing accusingly at Harry.

"The only persons mental credibility that should be questioned is yours Fudge" Harry retorted. "Your own aurors, you own secretary and the son of your closest associate, it doesn't look good does it?" Harry questioned sarcastically. "And let me tell you I don't trust you to lead a waltz and yet you are leading our entire country" Harry finished shaking his head.

There was a significant amount of cheering at this.

Fudge was simply dumbfounded. He hadn't really noticed the implications of the people involved. The boy was right, it really did not look good.

"Surely Lord Potter" he began in his best political tone, "we can find a way to deal with this without having to send usually upstanding members of our society to prison" he tried reasoning with Harry. "It must have been a momentary lapse in judgement, they must have been caught up in the heat of the moment" he explained with a nod.

The entire room were watching Harry, waiting to see what the young man would do. This could be a defining moment for him, this is how people would see him from now on, how he responded in this moment.

"Stop trying to make excuses for them, this was not a heat of the moment thing, this has been a continual and systematic approach to discipline by your staff, and these morons", he added gesturing to the students, "decided they wanted in on it, but they took it too far" Harry replied unwaveringly.

"Then you will be arrested also for attacking them" Fudge spat angrily.

"Fair enough" Harry shrugged and held out his wrists. "It just makes you look even more incompetent than what you are and what do you think the public will think when they learn that you had me locked up for stopping their children being tortured by your staff?" Harry questioned.

Fudge was clearly in a bind. Either way this was not going to end well for him. The boy would not be swayed to drop the matter and Cornelius knew that either way he was going to have to be making serious reparations in some form. He sunk back in his chair defeated knowing that it would be much better for him to just accept what had happened and weather the storm instead of adding fuel to an already roaring flame.

The members of the wizengamot were more than a little surprised at how well the fifteen year old handled himself. They knew that one day he would be quite the political force, be it ally or opposition.

"And just who are these other three students" Amelia asked having written down the major points of the meeting.

"That would be Crabbe, Goyle and Nott" Harry replied to which Amelia wrote down.

There was a sudden shout of rage from one of the gathered members and a man stood up pointing his wand at Harry.

"You dare attack my son and accuse him of such a disgusting thing" he roared. "I will kill you Potter" he finished breathing heavily.

To everyone's surprise it was Lucius Malfoy who intervened.

"Sit down Theodore" he hissed. "We will handle it" he said with a sharp look.

Harry knew that Malfoy was already formulating a plan to get his son off the charges but he would do everything he could to stop it.

"No" the other man shouted in rage. "I will not have this half-blooded bastard accuse my son and get away with it" he finished shaking in his anger.

"Well Lord Nott" Harry replied casually. "You could always make that a formal challenge, if you so wish".

"Theodore" Lucius hised warningly.

"Oh and you think you can take me do you?" the man asked laughing at the teen. "Then so be it Potter, I am going to wipe the floor with you" he spat.

"That didn't sound like a formal challenge to me" Harry intoned with a raised eyebrow.

"I, Theodore Dominus Nott challenge Harry Potter to a duel by the honour of my family" he stated firmly.

The gathered people in the room gasped. It was a very rare thing for a challenge to be made in such a way.

"I get to pick the place and you can pick the date" Harry replied not wanting to be caught in a trap.

"Fine" Nott spat.

"Then I accept" Harry declared, causing a red glow to surround the two.

Lucius sat back in his seat defeated. The Dark Lord was not going to be happy and Nott had no idea what he had just gotten himself in to. Chances are he was either going to be killed by the Dark Lord for his foolishness or by Potter in a duel.

"If that is all" Amelia cut in. "I have some prisoners to process" she explained. "Notification of trial dates will be issued to all of you pending the gathering of evidence" she informed the room.

With that the wizengamot filed out, headed by Nott senior who stormed from the room.

"You did well Potter" Arcturus praised. "And good job on not backing down from the challenge, it would have not looked good on you if you had" he said knowingly.

"It's his funeral" Harry replied to which the man grinned.

"Remember, never underestimate an opponent" the older man warned. "The Nott's are well known for their duelling ability" he informed the younger man.

"Who said I was going to duel him?" Harry asked. "As far as I am concerned it's a fight. I know he doesn't plan on playing nice so I won't either" Harry declared firmly.

"Good" the older man replied. "I will see you at home" he finished nodding over the teens shoulder.

Harry turned to see Jonathan Greengrass approaching with Daphne still wrapped in his arms.

"Lord Potter" the man inclined with a bow. "It seems that I have to once again thank you for coming to the aide of my family" he added with a shake of his head.

"It will always be Harry Sir" Harry responded. "It does seem I have a knack for it" he chuckled.

"Then you may call me Jonathan" the man replied. "You, if anyone, has earned that right" he spoke sincerely. "You do seem to have a tendency for it" he added. "A tendency that I am of course grateful for" he finished.

"And your family seems to have a tendency for landing themselves in these situations" Harry pointed out causing the man to chuckle.

"That they do" he mused. "Well then I can only hope that you are around to get them out of them" he added with a grin.

"You can count on it" Harry replied looking at Daphne whose cheeks had turned pink.

"Well Harry I must be getting my daughter back to school" the man intoned much to the obvious displeasure of his daughter which Harry caught.

"I'd be glad to escort her, if you don't mind?" Harry offered.

Mr Greengrass smiled knowingly.

"You know" he said scratching his chin. "There is no man I would trust to escort my daughter anywhere apart from myself" he continued. "But I think I can add to you that very exclusive list Harry" he finished with a warm smile. "Thank you" he said sincerely offering the young man his hand which Harry accepted immediately.

"Anytime" Harry returned.

"Well Daphne I imagine your Mother will be writing to you first thing, enjoy the peace while you can" he advised. "And I will see you soon" he added pulling his daughter into a final hug. "I hope we get to see you soon also Harry" he added before making his exit.

The teens followed shortly with Harry escorting Daphne out of the ministry and apparating her back to Hogwarts. They walked together to the front doors in companionable silence and reached them quicker than either of the teens wanted to.

"Well Miss Greengrass" Harry began. "I do hope we get to meet sometime under better circumstances" he spoke sincerely. "And when you don't feel the need to shout at me" he added with a chuckle causing the girl to blush.

"I'm sorry about that" she said quietly. "I was just confused" she continued shaking her head.

"Confused?" Harry asked frowning.

"I was confused about how I feel about you" she replied in just above a whisper.

"Was confused?" he questioned raising an eyebrow.

Daphne nodded. "I'm not so confused anymore" she admitted shyly looking the boy in the eye. "Thank you Harry" she said gratefully and reached up, kissing him on the cheek.

"You called me by my first name" he acknowledged in surprise.

"Then you should call me Daphne" she replied with a soft smile.

"I'm sure I can do that Daphne" he responded.

There was a momentary silence between the two in which Daphne broke.

"Goodnight Harry" she bade farewell reluctantly squeezing his hand gently.

"Goodnight Daphne" Harry returned softly.

Daphne turned to leave but was stopped by the boy.

"Daphne?" he called. "The day in Hogsmeade" he continued. "Your patronus didn't work because the memory wasn't strong enough" he explained. "Your concentration is fine" he finished with a small smile.

"That is the happiest memory I have" she replied dejectedly looking downwards.

Harry approached her, placed two fingers under her chin and raised her head.

"Then we need to give you a better one" he suggested to the girl and placed a gentle kiss on her lips to which she immediately responded to.

The pair melted in to each other, caught up in how amazing the feeling of this moment was, a moment that neither would forget.

"Try now" Harry whispered softly to her.

Daphne removed her wand and focused on the feeling she felt in that moment and allowed it wash over her.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ she intoned quietly not breaking the eye contact she was sharing with the boy.

The misty shield she was used to seeing was not present. In its place stood a large ethereal and pure white winged horse which made her gasp.

"That is quite something" Harry said in awe noting the similarity to his own.

"I did it" Daphne uttered in disbelief.

"You did" Harry responded proudly with a smile.

"Thank you" the girl squealed and threw herself in his arms, kissing him again.

"You're welcome" Harry said warmly when she broke away.

"I have to go" Daphne sighed sadly. "But I don't want to".

"Then I had better write to you" Harry replied still smiling.

"I'd like that" Daphne admitted happily.

"Goodnight Daphne" Harry said placing a final kiss on her cheek and turned away and began his walk to the gates.

"Goodnight Harry" Daphne whispered touching the spot where his lips had just been.

Both the castle and the common room were both empty as Daphne made her way to her dorm. She entered her room to find an expectant Tracey and Astoria still awake and clearly waiting for her to return.

"Are you ok?" Tracey asked, concerned for her friend.

Daphne nodded.

"I'm fine Tracey" She responded. "Much better than anyone of them will be" she continued. "Harry tore Fudge and the rest of them a new one" she explained in amusement.

"Harry now is it?" Tracey questioned the blonde with a raised eyebrow, who began blushing instantly. "Ok spill, what happened?" she demanded.

"Nothing happened Tracey" Daphne replied trying to busy herself by preparing for bed, but she couldn't hide her smile.

"Oh come off it Daph" the girl huffed exasperatedly. "I would have been all over him the moment we left the castle" she said. "He's gorgeous, he's powerful and did you see how he handled that little firsty?" she asked. "My ovaries nearly exploded at how good he was with her" she finished.

"Tracey!" Daphne gasped in shock. "He just helped me with my patronus" she dismissed with a shrug but couldn't stop the smile forming at the memory.

"And how did he do that?" Astoria cut in.

"He kissed me" Daphne answered shyly, blushing further.

"He didn't" Tracey stated in shock. "What was it like?" she asked.

"Amazing" Daphne whispered.

"And how was that supposed to help with your patronus?" Astoria asked with a frown.

"He said that my memory wasn't happy enough and he kissed me, he said I needed something better" Daphne shrugged.

"And it worked?" Tracey asked in disbelief to which Daphne nodded.

"Show me" Tracey demanded.

Daphne removed her wand and cast her mind back to feeling in the moment she had shared with Harry.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ she intoned in a somewhat dreamy voice and the beautiful winged horse formed before the trio.

"It's like his" Astoria whispered.

"Huh?" Daphne asked confused.

"His is a Thestral and yours is a winged horse" Astoria explained. "They look so similar" she finished.

Tracey just stood and stared, for once in her life she was speechless.

"Are they that alike?" Daphne asked quietly.

"Almost identical" Tracey breathed.

Daphne ended the spell causing the other two to snap out of their awestruck states.

"So you and Potter then?" Astoria asked her sister.

"I don't know" Daphne replied shaking her head. "He said he would write to me".

"And what about his harem?" Tracey asked with a smirk.

"I may have asked him about that" Daphne answered sheepishly. "He said none of it is true, he is either a very good liar or he was being honest with me" she mused.

"What do you think?" Astoria questioned.

"I don't think he was lying at all, the boy is too honest for his own good" Daphne answered without hesitation.

"We will just have to wait and see if he writes" Tracey responded with a nod. "But for now I am tired and need my bed, you know how grumpy I am if I don't get enough sleep" she intoned knowingly.

"Goodnight you two" Astoria said with a yawn and exited the room to head to her own bed.

Tracey and Daphne finished getting ready for bed themselves and got in, both exhausted from the day.

"Night Daph" Tracey called from her bed.

"Goodnight Tracey" Daphne replied.

Daphne stayed awake for some time replaying the day throughout her mind. It had been bad to start with and only got worse when they had been discovered by Umbridge. But again Harry Potter came to help her when she needed it most. Daphne Greengrass fell asleep that night the happiest she had ever been, her continuous smile would attest to the that.

She needn't wait long for the promised letter from Harry. Much to her and the other twos surprise, she received her very first letter the next morning at breakfast much to her relief and delight.

 **A/N**

 **Another fairly long one and a reasonable amount of relevant stuff here. I imagine I will get some hate for killing off Molly, Luna and Ginny but that's the way war goes. I don't hide the fact that I dislike Ginny by any means but I did try to make her at least a neutral character in this and not an annoying fan girl as she is in canon. I didn't want to focus too much on the quill because it has been done a million times before but I did have to acknowledge it and it gave me a chance to show a softer side to Harry, something I feel has been missing so far. And we all know that Malfoy is just a complete bastard and I wanted him to get a harsh lesson for being such a git. Anyway, favourite follow and review as always,**

 **Thank you,**

 **TBR**

 **I also thought that I would start including some recommendations of fics I have read and enjoyed, so for the next five or so chapters I will include a couple to make up for missing them. My first two recommended fics:**

 _ **Paid in Blood**_ **, by Zaterra02. A very original and very well written story. Harry and Daphne pairing and just worth a read.**

 _ **A Cadmean Victory,**_ **by DarknessEnthroned. A simply amazing written story and a great plot. If a Harry/Fleur pairing isn't your thing this probably isn't for you but it really does work.**


	12. Judge and Executioner

**AN**

 **I have edited and formatted this and all chapters leading up to this to make it more readable and address any errors I have made. It was pointed out that Narcissa didn't actually giver her vow in Gringotts and this has been rectified, it was something I simply missed. I have re-read the fic and after this chapter the formatting seems to improve significantly but if you do happen to spot any errors then please send me a message and I will fix them.**

 **Thank you guys and I hope it is now much easier to read and enjoy.**

 **TBR**

Chapter12: Judge and Executioner

The last two weeks for Cornelius Fudge could only be described as difficult at best. Not only had the media dragged his name and reputation through the mud at every possibility, the wizarding world as a whole seemed to have taken a serious disliking to him also. He would receive glares wherever he went and even his wife had not been exempt from the backlash of the revelations the Potter boy had brought forward.

At first he had believed that the storm would merely blow over after some given time but he soon learnt that he was deluding himself, he knew that irreparable damage had been done and there was no salvaging his frayed political career. But he knew that he should be thankful. He should be thankful that his reputation, in reality, should be much worse. Cornelius had many skeletons in his closet, skeletons that had gathered since he took office almost 15 years ago and these skeletons would show him to be much worse than the people currently believed.

He wanted nothing more than to blame Potter for the past fortnight and in a way he could make the justification to himself, barely. He could not however blame Potter for his own discretions and actions of the past decade and a half.

The last fortnight had given Cornelius much time to think and reflect on his tenure as minister and much of what he pondered was simply not pretty and he concluded that he could blame the boy for nothing.

Cornelius too had once been young and idealistic, even righteous, though not as tenacious or even savvy as Potter was. But he quickly found that idealism was nothing more than folly and to be successful you had to be able to compromise on your own ideology.

There were far too many factors that would hinder the implementation of your ideas and desires. The wizarding world did not like change and Cornelius and his ideas of righteousness had been quelled early on.

He instead, without even realising it, became what he had always despised in politics; another puppet that had his strings pulled by another. Cornelius Fudge had been weak and the weakness he showed had been exploited expertly by none other than Lucius Malfoy.

A freshly named Minister Fudge had goals, he had plans that would prevent another rising of a Dark Lord, but those plans had been completely abandoned at the advice of his much more charismatic and politically savvy friend.

Cornelius had taken office at a very difficult time, just after the fall of the Dark Lord and the entire country was in disarray. Lucius had recommended restoring order, not a bad idea in all honesty, but that one idea had led to many others and they in turn had led him astray and to where he found himself now. The righteousness and idealism of the younger Cornelius had, without him even realising, been neutralised effectively and it had all started with his biggest weakness in life; gold.

The ministry was poor which meant that Cornelius was poor. The Minister had the privilege of naming his own salary, which at first seemed a dream come true, but when he saw how little gold the ministry in fact had, it left him with quite the dilemma. He could take a large salary for himself and let the magical world suffer, or he could pay himself and his staff next to nothing and allow the wizarding world to have the much needed goal. As a younger and much more righteousness man Cornelius had opted for the latter. The problem was that he had always had quite expensive taste and had a liking for the finer things in life. Cue the entry of Lucius Malfoy into his life.

The man had simply hypnotised Cornelius with the amount of wealth he had, a wealth he seemed to be willing to share with the minister. At first it was simple gifts he would receive but eventuality, the request for favours started to come in and Cornelius knew that he owed the man. On reflection, he should have never even accepted the first gift but as a man with expensive taste but the coin purse of a pauper, the temptation had become too much and it led him here.

Over the years the gifts had only gotten bigger and in turn the favours followed. Cornelius knew he had been dazzled. He had been bribed and blackmailed in the most cunning of ways by a master manipulator and he just didn't know it. He truly believed that Lucius was a friend but now realised he was nothing but an opportunist, an opportunist that had taken the dreams of a younger Cornelius Fudge and eliminated them one by one, softening the blow with a little luxury to serve as medicine so no pain would be felt.

All Cornelius could do now was wait and see what havoc the storm would wreak. So far he had only experienced a light drizzle of the hurricane he deserved and for that, he could only be grateful. This had been unpleasant enough as it was and he knew his reputation could handle no more. The way Cornelius saw it was that he had two choices.

Firstly, he could simply continue as he had been until the moment he was booted from office as a disgraced man and leave behind a legacy of bribery and corruption. Or he could bring some justice to his younger self and be the man he dreamed of becoming. He would accept whatever consequences came his way and he would do all he could to salvage something, no matter how small it was.

The truth was that in order to face himself in the mirror again as a proud man he had to make changes and he needed to make them fast. He may not be able to change what he had done but he could at the very least make reparations for them.

 _(BREAK)_

Dolores Umbridge sat in her ministry cell as she had been for the last two weeks. She had cursed herself repeatedly after she had woken and had been read the charges, the outlook was very bleak indeed. She had hoped that Cornelius would come through for her but it seemed that the man had simply washed his hands of her and her problems, he had said as much himself when he had visited briefly.

She had been foolish, that much she knew. She did not regret what she had done to the little bastards but she certainly regretted being caught. It was the fault of Potter; that was what she had concluded.

She knew that tomorrow was not going to be a good day for her and she could only hope that there was some kind of leniency given to her, though she did not know if it would be more merciful to be executed than to spend the rest of her days in this state.

She had had her moments of madness in which her impending fate had overwhelmed her. She had begged and she had pleaded to every god imaginable but it seemed that her prayers had fallen on deaf ears. She had even tried to will her magic to kill her itself, but to no avail.

Dolores Umbridge was in a bind, a bind that there was no escape from. All she could do was wait and see what was in store for her in the morning and hope that her fate was at least a bearable cross to bear.

 _(BREAK)_

Draco Malfoy had spent the past fortnight cursing the name of Harry Potter and devising ways in which he would get his revenge. He was confident that his father would make his troubles go away so had simply bided his time and was waiting for that moment.

He was not nervous about the proceedings of the next day. He knew there was not a chance that his father would allow him to be locked away like a common criminal. He was in fact looking forward to facing the wizengamot, most of which were friends and acquaintances of his family. He knew his father would make their lives miserable if they even considered convicting him, he was a Malfoy after all and that meant he was untouchable.

He smirked at what was to come and was filled with glee at the prospect of ruining Potter for what he had done to him. He would only have to wait a few more hours and then he would be free and he would make Potter pay.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort was sat in his drawing room contemplating many things. Much of his time had been spent pondering the issue of Harry Potter. Not only had the boy defied the odds yet again but he had begun making waves in the magical world that did not sit well with the man. The boy was becoming powerful, too powerful for the liking of the Dark Lord and the need to hear the prophecy grew more and more as each day past. He needed to know what it was he was facing.

The Dark Lord feared no man but there was something about Potter that made him feel uneasy, a feeling that he saw as unacceptable. He needed to know how much of a threat the boy was and he had fortunately been given that opportunity.

He had at first been furious with Nott challenging the boy to a duel but quickly found that he was more curious. He realised it gave him the chance to see the progress of the boy and truly evaluate the threat he faced. If Nott were to succeed in killing the boy then it would be a bitter pill to swallow as he wanted nothing more than to personally right the wrong's the boy had committed against him. However, if the boy were to defeat the man then he knew that he was progressing at quite a terrifying rate and he would need to be eliminated as fast as humanly possible. If that were to happen then the need to hear the prophecy would become desperate, not something that the Dark Lord would admit to anyone.

He knew that Nott was one of his more skilled and powerful followers with a wand and he knew that if Potter did best him then he was indeed a formidable opponent, something which Voldemort had accepted as it was from the damage the boy had done in France.

It was not an ideal situation for him though. If Potter won then it was likely that he would lose one of his best and the worry of the prophecy would be much more significant. The thought alone gave him an inkling of fear. If Nott one however he knew it would be bittersweet. The boy would be dead but then the Dark Lord would have the shame of being bested by the boy more times than he cared for, as far as he was concerned once was too many.

He would simply wait and see what the outcome of the duel would be. Either way he knew he was going to be disappointed but he could not decide which of the two he would rather face. Could he handle the shame better than he could handle the worry? That was a question he could not answer as things were. But he knew he would take either one in his stride because in reality, Potter was a small part of his grand plan. A small part that could however, ruin everything the Dark Lord had spent his life working towards.

All Lord Voldemort could do was wait. Wait for what was to come and plan accordingly.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was sat in his office stroking the feathers of his phoenix thoughtfully. He had been asked to return to the castle a few short days after Dolores Umbridge had been removed by Harry and he was glad to be back. There was a lot however that was bothering the aged headmaster.

He had read the testimony from the students at how truly terrible Umbridge had been and the subsequent treatment they had received because of it. It did not make for pleasurable reading and the man found himself saddened and even brought to tears by the plight of the children that were under his care. The fact was, they had been tortured and exposed to things that none should have faced, let alone those of such a young age.

He himself had personally taken responsibility for teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, hoping that he could repair some of the damage the woman had caused and he found that he enjoyed teaching again, something that he had not done in many years. He remembered why he had first come to Hogwarts and that was simply to share his knowledge with the younger generations and have time to improve his own. He had taken the Headmasters job after his friend Armando Dippet had passed on quite suddenly. He in fact had not planned on retaining the post for a long period of time but the years had slowly crept by and before he knew it the war had come and passed and he was still here.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a knock on the door, one that he had been expecting.

"Come in Minerva" he answered.

"Albus, what is it that you wanted to see me about?" the transfiguration professor asked. "It sounded like it was urgent" she added worriedly.

"No Minerva it is not a matter of urgency I can assure you" he replied. "I just wanted to discuss a few things with you" he explained.

"What things?" the witch questioned with a slight frown.

"The running of the school primarily" he responded with a nod.

"What of it?" Minerva asked with a confused expression.

Dumbledore sighed. He knew the conversation was not going to start well.

"The simple fact is Minerva I am no longer fit to run the school to the standard that it deserves" he admitted sadly.

"Nonsense Albus" the woman stated firmly. "There is no one that can do the job as well as you" she affirmed sincerely.

Dumbledore smiled at the faith that the womanan was and always had shown him.

"I thank you for your confidence but you only need to look on the last five years to see that I am speaking the truth" he said knowingly. "My poor choice to house the philosophers stone here" he counted off. "The opening of the chamber, the farce of a tournament and most recently, the tenure of Dolores Umbridge" he finished with a disappointed shake of the head.

"What are you saying Albus?" the woman asked sadly. "Are you planning on leaving?".

"My dear Minerva Hogwarts is my home and it is a place that I would leave very reluctantly" he spoke sincerely. "However there are changes that need to be made, tell me, you still enjoy your teaching very much don't you?" he asked throwing the witch off a little.

"More than anything" she answered simply.

"I thought as much" the headmaster replied with a smile. "As you know the headmaster position is a full time role in itself and as you still enjoy teaching I can only assume that you do not want the position?" he stated questioningly.

"I would accept it if I had to" she confirmed hesitantly.

"That is why I have a proposition for you that I hope you will consider" he responded.

Minerva raised an eyebrow at the man but waited for him to continue.

"I myself have found my love for teaching again" he began. "I would very much like to continue teaching defence as you would with transfiguration so what I propose is that I and yourself share the responsibilities of headmaster and we can both teach" he explained. "I cannot do this job as it should be done alone any longer, it is time for some new blood and this seems the best solution" he finished with a sad smile.

"You really mean that don't you?" the witch inquired disbelievingly.

"I do Minerva" he answered. "It seems that it is for the best in the current climate".

"Then it seems as though we have much to discuss" Minerva lamented.

 _(BREAK)_

After the departure of Umbridge, the mood in the castle had improved significantly and the occupants felt as though they could breathe for the first time since the year started. Add to the fact that Dumbledore himself was teaching defence, the students could not be in better spirits.

The former members of Umbridge's Inquisitorial squad had been punished very harshly for their transgressions. Most had been given detentions to pay their dues and others had even been suspended. The Slytherins in particular were feeling the benefit of the removal of some of the house members.

The fact that Malfoy and his cronies were no longer around made the common room a much nicer place to be and the occupants of the snake pit were hopeful that the pompous idiot would not be returning.

Daphne had never been happier. Not only had everything at school improved but Harry had written to her every day since the night he had saved her again and she had happily replied.

She found that there was much more to the boy than the saviour he appeared to be and she truly liked what she had found out about the boy. Not only was he noble and brave but he was in fact genuine and honest. He always asked about her and what she was doing and actually took an interest. He was not self-centred and arrogant as most in her house believed but he was actually quite sensitive and had his insecurities that she found endearing. He was just a boy, but a boy that had the responsibilities of a man way beyond his years.

She looked forward to receiving his letters and found that no matter how good she felt in the morning, they would make her feel even better. There was certainly much more to Harry Potter than the eye could see and she looked forward to getting to know him more. What she did know however was that she was already enamoured with him, something that her best friend and sister would point out at every opportunity. She did not mind however. Although it annoyed her in the moment she knew that they were happy for her and perhaps even a little jealous. The ribbing she got from them was nothing to what the boy made her feel.

She herself though was insecure also. She could not help but think that he may only see her as a passing fancy, a way to kill some time. She did not understand how he could be so attentive towards her when he could have any witch he wanted. Those moments of doubt would plague her but they would always be put to rest once she had read his letters to her. He seemed to truly like her and everything he wrote was wrought with sincerity. She knew that time would tell but for the time being she would give him the benefit of any of her doubts and could only hope that she would not get her heart broken when all was said and done.

She of course worried about what he faced and he made no excuses or promises that he knew he could not uphold. He knew there was a chance that he would be killed and it seemed to be something that he accepted as a hazard in his efforts. She knew that he was doing what needed to be done and that was a big part of why she liked him. He was unwavering with what he saw as his responsibility despite the danger to himself and as hard as it was, Daphne accepted it. But that did not stop her worrying for the boy.

She knew that she was seeing a side to him that no one else had. He had been open with her about his dreams and aspirations and found the simplicity of them appealing. He wanted nothing more than to be normal, have a career he enjoyed and a family he could love, something that he had never had before. He had even been open about the fact that he had killed people but was not apologetic for it. He explained to her that he was doing what had to be done and he would not allow himself to feel guilty for it. He had even given her the chance to walk away from him if she was disgusted and ashamed by his acts. Daphne quickly dismissed that notion. She understood that he was a good person and hadn't killed for nothing more than necessity and knew that he would again and she found that she didn't or even couldn't hold it against him.

She didn't know where this thing with Harry was going but she found that she was just enjoying it and the mystery was a part of the enjoyment. All she truly knew was that she was looking forward to spending time with the boy and being there for him as much as she could. She knew he needed someone to help him pick up the pieces, he was a caring person after all and caring people carried burdens. She wanted to help alleviate them as much as possible, pick him up when he needed it and even give him a good kick up the arse if necessary when he was too harsh on himself.

Yes, Daphne Greengrass was content with her lot as of now. She just hoped that it wouldn't all be taken away from her before she could truly enjoy it.

 _(BREAK)_

The day of the trials had arrived for Harry and he found that he was quite eager to witness the fate of Umbridge and Malfoy in particular. The media in recent days had been quite harsh towards Fudge and his leadership, much to the young man's pleasure and the prospect of having the incompetent minister removed seemed much more likely, a definite step in the right direction.

On the advice of Arcturus Harry had been preparing for his duel with Nott senior after learning the man could demand it takes place at any given moment. The older man had explained that as Harry had allowed him to choose when the duel would take place it could be a wait as little as ten minutes all the way up to an indefinite amount of time.

The wait bothered him slightly as he was keen to focus on the more important things he had to deal with and knowing that a duel could be called at any moment was an irritation he would rather not deal with. He was however very confident in his ability to beat the man and knew that it was a perfect opportunity to send a message to Riddle. He had planned for little showmanship and had already decided that he would hold nothing back, ending the duel as quickly and effectively as possible. He simply wanted no questions to be asked about his fighting ability or any doubts that he would, at the very least, be able to trade blows with Tom suitably.

He had spent a reasonable amount of time the past fortnight writing to Daphne, something he was, at first, not entirely sure why he was doing. This for Harry was different from writing to Fleur or even Hermione and found that it had taken a little time to adjust to.

Fleur was of course very beautiful but Harry found that he could not get past his first impressions of her. Although he had warmed to the veela over time she was still very haughty and it was one thing the young man found unappealing about the woman, to the point of making her considerably less attractive to him.

Hermione was to him just as he imagined having a sister would be. Yes, she had and was growing into a very beautiful woman but he knew he could never get past the platonic nature of their relationship and, if truth be told, he wouldn't be able to tolerate her overbearing nature beyond what it was now.

Daphne, he found, was different to them both. She was very beautiful but it was not the beauty that he found most attractive, to him that aspect of her was something more to appreciate about the girl. What did attract him to her was how she treated him and just her general personality.

She asked about him and how he was feeling; she understood that he was, above all else, a regular person with all the feelings that any have. She did not see him as nothing more than a hero as most did and had since he entered the wizarding world, but she saw him as Harry, the fifteen year old who was shouldering a heavy burden. She asked how he was coping and how he was feeling about things and it felt easy for him to open up to her because there didn't appear to be any other reason for her asking, other than the fact she was interested and looking out for him.

The only other time people seemed interested in how Harry Potter was feeling was when he had just managed to either survive an encounter with Riddle or he had just completed some over the top and ridiculous feat. The only other person other than Daphne that had taken an interest in his welfare was Sirius and Harry understood how rare people like that were in his life.

It was not just her caring nature that he admired about her. She was clearly intelligent and he knew she was powerful having seen her manage to produce a corporeal patronus. She was witty and had a great sense of humour, something he had missed out on his entire life.

But above all else, She was genuine. She spoke to Harry as he knew she would anyone else. She was not speaking to a hero nor was she speaking to the boy who lived but she was speaking to Harry as he had wanted since learning about his past from Hagrid. She would offer him advice and she was not afraid to give him a verbal bashing if she thought that he needed it, which she obviously thought he often did. Harry appreciated it though because it wasn't a Hermione-like lecture in which she would make him feel like a child, but it was a much needed prod to pull himself together.

He thought that after he had opened up about his killings that she would be quick to judge and condemn him for his actions but she had truly understood why he had to do what he was doing. He could tell that she was not exactly comfortable with it but she did not hold it against him and even went on to explain that it was certainly rather them than him, which warmed him considerably.

He did not know what would happen between them but he was certainly enjoying their missives and found that each evening he looked forward to receiving a letter from her.

He entered the drawing room to find it unusually empty. He wondered where the older man was and quickly spotted a scribbled note left on the table.

 _Potter,_

 _We were called in early to review the evidence. Trials start at 9am, don't be late and sit in the public gallery. As a key witness you are not allowed a vote and say nothing unless you are addressed._

 _Baron A.O Black_

Harry found the final formality of the note amusing knowing that the man did things no other way. He took his breakfast alone and prepared for the day ahead, hoping that it was not a long and drawn out process, the guilt of the people was obvious in his mind. He just hoped that there were no unexpected surprises. He was sure that Fudge had been subdued adequately and could not interfere in the proceedings he did not however have the same faith in Malfoy or his associates.

After dressing in a simple black jumper, jeans and brown shoes he apparated to the ministry with plenty of time to spare, wanting to get a good seat.

He entered the chamber in which the trials would be held to see the seats slowly beginning to fill, he knew it would be a full house today. He managed to find a suitable seat close to the front of the public gallery and waited for Dumbledore to begin.

Much to his surprise Jonathan Greengrass entered the room escorting his wife and Daphne. Upon seeing Harry he approached him with the two ladies trailing just behind him.

"Good morning Harry" he greeted the young man warmly. "I was wondering if I might ask if you would be so kind to sit with my wife and daughter and act as their escort for the morning?" he asked with a bow.

Although the man had greeted him informally Harry was aware that the request he had made was in fact formal so he stood before responding.

"It would be my pleasure Jonathan" Harry replied with a bow.

"Thank you" the other man intoned with another smile. "I'm sure today will be very interesting and Daphne requested that she be allowed to attend and as a victim, I could hardly refused" he finished with an exasperated chuckle.

"Don't worry" Harry said reassuringly. "I will try my best to keep both of them out of trouble" he offered with a grin to which the women simply raised their eyebrows at him.

"It appears to me Lord Potter that it is you that needs to be kept out of trouble" Ophelia retorted. "I am sure myself and my daughter can be trusted to behave, you on the other hand are questionable" she added with a smirk.

"And you live with these two willingly?" Harry questioned Jonathan in faux horror causing the man to laugh.

"You have no idea how much I look forward to September 1st every year" he responded shaking his head in mock anguish.

"We both know you secretly cry in your study Dad, or not so secretly as it goes" Daphne cut in causing her father to flush slightly.

"I am going to take my seat before I am embarrassed further, good luck Harry, you will need it with these two" he finished.

"That I do not doubt" the young man mumbled.

"Excuse me Potter, did you just say something?" Daphne questioned, quirking her eyebrow at the boy.

"Only how pretty you look when you frown" he returned causing the girl to frown at him in disbelief. "Just like that" he pointed out seeing the change in her expression causing her to blush slightly.

"Just show us to our seats you idiot" she replied playfully with a slight giggle.

"Of course ladies" he complied with an elaborate bow.

"I think it is us that need luck with him" Ophelia muttered to her daughter as she took her seat.

"He does have a certain charm though I suppose" Daphne responded causing her mother to smile knowingly.

"That he does" she conceded with a nod.

Harry took the opportunity to take a look around the room to see who was in attendance. He was not surprised that Nott senior and the parents of Crabbe and Goyle were present. What did surprise however was that Lucius Malfoy was not in his regular place at the ministers side. He was sat in the opposite stand to Harry looking very nervous as was Narcissa who was sat with him. It seemed that even the Malfoy gold had not been able to sway things in the man's favour for once.

He saw that Nott Senior was shooting a death glare in his direction. Harry simply smiled maliciously at the man with clear intent, he would not allow the man to even attempt to intimidate him. Nott however, was unfazed by the intentions behind the smile Harry gave him and continued his hostile look.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Dumbledore spoke disrupting the staring contest between the two. "Please be seated as we are about to begin" he informed the room.

He waited for everyone to be seated. When he was satisfied that everyone was comfortable he proceeded.

"We, the wizengamot, have spent this morning reviewing all evidence pertaining to the trials" he began. "We will begin with the three aurors who were in attendance at Hogwarts while certain crimes were carried out under their supervision of the castle, please bring them in" he instructed.

A side door opened allowing the three men and their auror escorts to enter the chamber. Each suspect were sat and bound in chairs placed at the centre of the room.

"Auror John Dawlish" Dumbledore addressed the man. "You stand accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several students and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23 students, how do you plead?" he finished questioningly.

"Not guilty" Dawlish spat vehemently.

"Very well" Dumbledore replied casually. "We have already reviewed the evidence and we will now vote" he informed the man. "Those who find the man not guilty, please raise your wands now" he instructed.

Only around 8 wands were raised, not even close to gain the man his freedom.

"Those who find the defendant guilty" Dumbledore asked.

The remaining 134 wands of the wizengamot were raised.

"I was only carrying out orders, as was my duty" Dawlish shouted angrily.

"Be that as it may, what you did was highly illegal and reprehensible" Dumbledore responded. "You as an auror should have known that what you allowed to happen was wrong" he added shaking his head disappointedly. "Cornelius, if you would please deliver the sentence" he requested of the minister who cleared his throat.

"John Dawlish, due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror badge and release you permanently from the department of magical law enforcement" he explained to the furious man. "You will also be sent to Azkaban as a low grade prisoner for 3 years. Consider this very lenient, we took your usual exemplary record into account" he finished.

The man was then lead from the court room very angry at his fate sputtering about the injustice he had received.

"Auror Robert Michaels" Dumbledore spoke out once more. "You stand accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several students and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23 students, how do you plead?" he finished in the same tone he had addressed Dawlish with.

"Guilty" the man answered hanging his head in shame.

"Very well" Dumbledore responded. "Cornelius?".

"Robert Michaels, due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror badge and release you permanently from the department of magical law enforcement" he explained. "As you have admitted your guilt you will serve a two year sentence in Azkaban as a low grade prisoner" he concluded.

The man just nodded and accepted his fate without question. He allowed himself to be escorted from the room without any fuss.

"Auror Triton Selwyn" Dumbledore called causing Harry to snap to attention at the name. ""You stand accused of facilitating and allowing the assault of several students and the torture by the use of a regulated item on 23 students, additionally you stand accused of the attempted murder of Lord Harry James Potter by way of an unforgivable curse, how do you plead?" Dumbledore questioned the man.

"Not guilty" the man said defiantly shooting Harry a glare that immediately made Harry quite angry but he kept an impassive mask firmly in place.

Dumbledore nodded.

"The wizengamot have reviewed the evidence against you" he explained to the man. "Those in favour of finding the defendant not guilty?" he asked the court.

Around 30 wands were raised, all from the darker families Harry noted.

"Those in favour of finding the defendant guilty?" Dumbledore questioned further.

The remaining 114 wands were raised sealing the man's fate who seemed nonplussed by the result.

"Cornelius" Dumbledore prompted.

"Triton Selwyn" Fudge said with a deep sigh. "Due to your crimes, I hereby revoke your auror badge and release you permanently from the department of magical law enforcement" he informed the man. "In addition you are sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of Lord Harry James Potter and the use of an unforgivable curse" he concluded firmly.

"How dare you?" the man roared at Fudge. "After the support my family has given you this is how you repay them" he spat.

"Take him away" Fudge snarled distastefully.

The man was led away protesting loudly and vowing his revenge on those who had wronged him.

"Let's move on" Fudge spoke angrily. "Next case" he called.

The door opened and Nott Junior entered the room along with Crabbe and Goyle Junior who simply looked confused.

"I will make this quick" Fudge announced. "We have already reviewed the evidence and have decided that it is a matter of the Hogwarts headmaster to punish you as the crime took place on the Hogwarts ground and your parts in it were rather minimal" he explained to the trio who were now looking rather triumphant at this development. "Albus?" he addressed the headmaster willing him to continue.

"As Minister Fudge has explained it has been left to me to decide your fates" he reiterated to the trio. "Is there anything you wish to say in your defence?" he asked looking at them individually.

"Malfoy made us do it" Crabbe grunted with a shrug.

"Yeah he said we had to" Goyle added.

Nott Junior remained silent and only looked at the headmaster defiantly who just shook his head.

"In all my years as headmaster I have never found myself in this situation" he spoke with disappointment.

He sighed.

"I have little choice but to expel all three of you for your actions" he added sadly. "I have applied to the ministry to confiscate your wands and have an additional trace placed on you until you reach your majority so that you cannot practice magic until that time" he informed the now shocked boys.

"Your application has been granted Albus" Fudge cut in to which the older man nodded.

"This is your fault Potter" Nott Senior suddenly screamed from across the room standing and shaking in fury.

"Oh shut up you moron" Harry retorted. "It was your idiot son that helped try to rape a young lady and allowed her to be tortured, he only has himself to blame" he added with a shrug.

The man just gaped like a fish for a moment before he responded.

"That's it" he announced. "I have had enough of you and I want our duel tomorrow" he screeched to which the room gasped. "Name your place" he spat at the young man.

Harry grinned at the man, he was rather relieved he would be able to get it over and done with sooner than he had anticipated.

"The Graveyard in Little Hangleton" Harry replied casually causing the man to blanch and the room to look confused.

"If I may interject Lord Potter?" Dumbledore cut in.

Harry just nodded and waited for the chief warlock to continue.

"It is my understanding that the location you have chosen is not a suitable venue for a duel" he explained with a little amusement in his eyes. "I do however offer you the use of the Hogwarts quidditch pitch for the event" he added. "There is ample seating for the crowd and as you are not a student there this year it can be considered neutral ground" he finished.

Harry thought for a moment and found that it was a rather good idea. Not only was it a familiar place for him but the location and the presence of the Hogwarts wards would discourage any interference from anyone.

"I gratefully accept Professor Dumbledore" Harry responded.

"Fine" Nott spat. "11am" he added.

"Rules?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Wands only" Nott retorted.

"Of course" Harry replied.

Nott smiled a sickly smile.

"No spell limitations" he said vindictively.

The whole room looked towards Harry waiting for his response, clearly this was not a regular occurrence. He looked towards Arcturus who was grinning.

"I was going to suggest the same thing" Harry answered casually causing the man to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Unforgivables?" Nott questioned disbelievingly.

"Why not" Harry shrugged. "We both know they have a history of not being very effective against me" he added causing a few in the room to laugh.

"How do we determine a winner?" Nott asked further.

"Until the other cannot continue" Harry suggested.

"Even death?" Nott asked, again in disbelief.

"If you wish" he responded coldly no longer in the mood for making light of the situation.

"Fine" Nott spoke quietly. "Until tomorrow" he added and made his exit.

Harry took his seat and noticed Daphne looking at him worriedly and a little annoyed.

"It will be fine" he reassured her.

"It better be" she warned threateningly. "If you die I will kick your arse" she promised.

"I'll be dead, it won't matter" Harry replied with a grin.

"I'm not joking Potter" Daphne growled.

"And neither was I when I said it will be fine, he has no idea what he has gotten himself into" he spoke quietly allowing a little of his magic to escape causing his eyes to glow.

Daphne just nodded in response. She didn't like the idea of a duel like this but she understood that he could not back down. She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly causing Harry to smile at her.

"Next case" Fudge called impatiently.

The door opened once again to admit a very confident looking Draco Malfoy who was dressed in fine black robes with a silver lining. He took his seat and was clearly surprised to be bound to the chair.

"Draco Abraxus Malfoy" Dumbledore intoned seriously. "You stand accused of the attempted rape of a young woman and the use of an unforgivable curse on the same individual, how do you plead?" he finished with the question.

"Not Guilty" Malfoy replied with a sneer aimed at the chief warlock who just sighed.

"We have already reviewed the evidence against you and all that is left is to determine whether we find you guilty of the accused crimes or innocent" the old man explained. "Do you wish to say anything in your defence?" he asked the boy.

"I was under the Imperious Curse" the blonde replied arrogantly.

"And pray, do tell us who would place you under the curse?" Dumbledore asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know but I am being set up" Malfoy responded, clearly confident in his excuse.

"Madame Bones?" Dumbledore asked willing her to proceed.

"Mr Malfoy was tested for any signs of mind altering magic and potions upon his arrival and no traces nor indications were found" she explained after rising to her feet.

Malfoy looked panicked by the witches declaration but that did not stop him from denying the charges vehemently.

"I wasn't acting of my own accord" he tried again sounding a little desperate.

"Would you be willing to attest to that by way of veritaserum?" Madame Bones asked the boy with a raised brow. "Be warned Mr Malfoy if you agree to this and you are found to be lying your punishment will be much more harsh" she added sternly.

Malfoy just gaped like a fish. This was not going as he had planned at all, he thought that the imperious defence was solid. He looked towards his father who was looking quite furiously towards Fudge, he clearly blamed the minister for this.

"No because I don't trust you to be treated fairly" he eventually responded sounding more worried.

"Those in favour of finding the defendant not guilty" Dumbledore cut in.

Around 50 wands were raised. Harry could see that even though the boy's guilt was obvious the Malfoy influence was very far reaching.

"Those who find the defendant guilty" Dumbledore asked the room.

The remainder of the wands were raised demonstrating that the Malfoy influence was not enough to secure Draco's release. He began to stutter in disbelief before he addressed Fudge.

"After everything my father has done for you, you allow this?" he questioned the man angrily.

"The professional nor personal relationship between myself and your father has no bearing on this" Fudge replied sternly. "You broke the law Mr Malfoy and we are all accountable for our actions, even me" he finished quietly.

The boy just looked towards his father who was shaking in fury and his mother who was shaking in equal measure but hers was in sadness.

"Draco Abraxus Malfoy" Fudge began. "You have been found guilty of attempted rape and the use of an unforgivable on another person" he continued. "Albus?" he prompted the headmaster.

"As Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry it is my duty to inform you that you have been expelled" Dumbledore explained to the shock stricken boy.

"And as you broke the law to such a deplorable degree it is my duty to add to that punishment separately" Fudge informed him.

"Are you willing to sacrifice everything Cornelius?" Lucius Malfoy stood and addressed the man angrily. "Because I am sure that the wizarding world would love to hear your deepest secrets" he finished threateningly.

"My reputation is already in tatters" Fudge replied a little sadly. "But can yours stand up to the backlash you would receive if we start the revelation game?" he asked defiantly. "Because believe me Lucius I have very little to lose now whereas you are still held in high regard, something that would no doubt change if I was to release what I have" he finished confidently.

Malfoy blanched at the implications but composed himself.

"You don't have the guts" Malfoy spat. "You would be nothing without me" he added in an angry whisper.

"Try me" Fudge retorted heatedly. "And I would be a much better person than I am if you never came along Lucius" he continued in disappointment. "Then I'd be able to look in the mirror and not be disgusted by what I see" he concluded.

Malfoy just shook with rage but eventually took his seat again. Clearly Fudge had slipped from his control. The man would of course suffer.

"Where was I?" Fudge asked himself. "Ahh yes". "Draco Abraxus Malfoy as a minor it is not possible for me to send you to Azkaban" he said.

Malfoy looked absolutely gleeful at this.

"However" Fudge continued. "Certain allowances can and will be made in your case" he informed the boy. "We may not be able to house you in Azkaban as stated by our laws but there are other prisons in the wizarding world that are able to" he added. "You are therefore sentenced to serve no less than 30 years in Nurmengard prison under the authority of the ICW" he concluded.

"You do not have the authority to do that" Lucius Malfoy shouted, rising to his feet once again.

"But I do" Dumbledore cut in firmly. "As the chief warlock and as our representative to the ICW you will find that I have already spoken to my colleagues and they have allowed this sentence, they were equally horrified by the nature of the crimes" he explained.

"So you had already determined my son's guilt" Malfoy spat.

"No Lucius we did not" Dumbledore stated sternly. "We did however see the need to make arrangements should a guilty verdict be given" he continued. "Your son cannot be allowed to roam free after committing such a crime, he is and has to be held responsible for his actions" he finished resolutely.

Malfoy stammered in complete disbelief. How had things gone so wrong?

"You will pay for this" he hissed towards Fudge. "Believe me you will pay" he added pointing at the man with a shaking arm before sweeping from the room in a rage.

"Mother?" Draco asked clearly worried.

"I thought I raised you better" she replied sadly. "I love you son, but what you did is wrong" she said shaking her head and followed her husband less dramatically.

"Aurors?" Fudge called. "Take him away" he instructed.

"Wait!" Malfoy protested. "Please you can't do this to me" he pleaded.

"I am sorry Mr Malfoy but you must atone for your crimes" Fudge said sadly. "You are very fortunate that we did not sentence you to life, I can only hope you learn from this and emerge the other side a much better man" he added sincerely.

With that the aurors led away a very distraught Draco Malfoy. Today had not gone well for him and now he was simply in shock.

Harry could not believe the sentence that had been passed but couldn't help agreeing with the verdict. Malfoy was a disgrace and what he did warranted the punishment he received. He caught Fudge's eye and gave him a respectful nod. Despite the man's incompetence, he was truly coming through today.

"Let's get this final case over with" Fudge sighed exasperatedly.

Dolores Umbridge entered the chamber looking rather pale and sickly. She too looked surprise by being bound to the seat and did not miss the many hateful glares she was receiving from the witches and wizards gathered in the room.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge" Dumbledore began. "You stand accused of 23 counts of torturing students with a regulated and dangerous item and for the use of an unforgivable on another person, how do you plead?" Dumbledore asked the woman.

Umbridge had waited for this moment and knew that without the help of Cornelius she was doomed.

"Guilty" she responded after hesitating for a moment, though it was clear she was reluctant to do so.

"We have already reviewed the evidence against you Ms Umbridge and as you have pleaded guilty I will pass over to the minister who will deliver the sentence" Dumbledore explained.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge" Fudge addressed the woman a little sadly. "You are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban" he told her. "I must say that I am very disappointed" he added. "And I am sorry if I in any way implied that such things were allowed" he finished shaking his head.

Dolores Umbridge just nodded, she had not expected anything less in the circumstances. She was angry at Cornelius and at Potter but she knew that she only truly had herself to blame. It was her laxity and her indulgences that had gotten her here. She held her head high as the aurors led her away; she would maintain her dignity at the very least.

"That concludes the proceedings for today" Fudge announced and left the room quickly.

"The ferret got what he deserved" Daphne mumbled bitterly.

"They all did" Harry responded with a nod. "It seems that Fudge has gotten a wake-up call somewhere along the line" he added thoughtfully.

"You would be just as surprised as me" Jonathan cut in as he joined the group. "He would not usually be so professional" he finished with a frown.

"Well it ended as it should have, even though Malfoy should be kissed by the dementors" Ophelia intoned.

"Yes, well at least he didn't get away with it" Jonathan responded. "Now we have to get this young lady back to school" he added indicating his daughter. "We will see you tomorrow Harry" he said to the younger man.

"You are coming to watch?" Harry questioned.

"It's been many years since I saw a duel like this one promises to be" Jonathan said clearly looking forward to it.

"Then I will see you there" Harry replied with a grin of his own. "Daphne" he said placing a kiss on the girls cheek.

"Now I don't know who I want to win" Jonathan muttered with a shake of his head. "One man is a scumbag and the other has intentions towards my daughter" he explained with his eyes full of mirth.

"Dad!" Daphne exclaimed.

Ophelia slapped her husband on the shoulder.

"Would you rather there was a less noble man vying for our daughters affections?" she asked leading her husband away.

"Mum!" Daphne whined in horror clearly wishing the floor would swallow her.

Harry was amused as he saw Jonathan pale at his wife's question and began stuttering incoherently.

"I'm sorry about them" Daphne muttered quietly, clearly embarrassed by her parents.

"Don't be" Harry dismissed with a shrug. "I'm sure he doesn't really want me to lose" he added with a grin.

"You better not" Daphne replied firmly.

Harry pulled her into a hug which she happily returned.

"I won't, I don't fancy being dug up to have my arse kicked" he declared in amusement causing Daphne to chuckle.

"I would do it too" she assured him with a grin. "I have to catch them up" she said sadly. "But I will see you tomorrow".

"I'd rather you weren't there but I know you will be regardless of what I say" he responded knowingly. "I will see you tomorrow" he said placing another kiss on her cheek.

Daphne left followed shortly by Harry after he shared a nod with the headmaster. He had a duel to prepare for after all.

 _(BREAK)_

The students had just finished their evening meal and found themselves to be perplexed by a perceived announcement that the headmaster was about to make. It was unusual as the man only addressed the students at feasts or to inform them of something important. He raised his hands to gain the silence of those assembled.

"Students" he began. "It is my duty to inform you that a sanctioned duel will take place here tomorrow morning at Hogwarts".

There was a flurry of chatter amongst the students. Those who understood whispered excitedly to their friends and those that did not listened as explanations were made throughout the hall. Dumbledore waited for silence again before continuing.

"Lord Theodore Nott Senior, by honour of his family, has challenged Lord Harry James Potter in a duel that shall be contested with no limitations on magic" he explained.

Several gasps could be heard and again students aware of such things explained the implications in such a contest. There were quite a few worried faces amongst the crowd now and the noise quickly fell, allowing the headmaster to continue.

"Due to the nature of the contest and because of the agreed rules between the combatants, only students from fourth year and above will be allowed to attend as spectators" he said firmly.

There was a groan of disappointment from the younger years at this.

"I must warn you all however" Dumbledore cut in. "If you are planning on attending then you must be aware that serious injury and even death is likely, it is not for the squeamish nor the faint at heart" he spoke gravely. "The duel is scheduled to begin at 11am" he finished taking his seat once more.

"Why would you allow them to attend Albus?" Minerva questioned him in confusion.

The question caused the older man to sigh.

"Because Minerva it is my hope that they will witness this and be deterred by violent confrontation and demonstrate the honest brutality of war" he explained. "I am hoping that a harsh and honest lesson will prevent many of those with dreams of grandeur joining Tom and his cause" he added.

"But surely they are too young" she replied questioningly.

"Tom was the same age as some of the students when he committed his first murder" he informed her. "In an ideal world they would be too young but alas, ours is far from it right now" he concluded with a shake of his head.

Minerva just nodded. She agreed that the world was far from ideal, she just hoped that this was not a moment of poor judgement by her friend.

 _(BREAK)_

The students at the Gryffindor table were a mix of shock, worry and excitement. Most were lost in their own thoughts for some time before Hermione broke the silence.

"Why would Harry accept a challenge like that" she asked no one in particular.

"He had no choice" Neville answered.

Seeing Hermione looking confused he continued.

"Put yourself in his position Hermione" he offered. "He is a half-blood in a pure blood dominated world and he was challenged by honour, that in itself is a big deal" he explained. "Now because of how things are with You-Know-Who he can't afford to look weak in any way and by the honour of his own family, he would have had to accept anyway" he finished knowingly.

"But his family are dead" Hermione pointed out.

"They are" Neville agreed with a nod. "But it is his duty as a Potter to carry his name the way his ancestors did and from what my Gran told me over Easter that is a big weight to carry" he added.

"You asked your Gran about the Potters? I thought she told you everything she knew" Hermione replied with a frown.

"Turns out she didn't" Neville said with a shrug. "She knew Harry's grandfather from the wizengamot and according to her the man was terrifying especially with a wand" he informed the bushy haired girl.

"But I looked into well-known duelling families and the Potters weren't on the list, despite his grandfather killing giants and so on" she responded, still frowning.

"That's because they aren't duellists" Neville stated matter-of-factly. "They are fighters and duelling is a sport, not a fight" he explained.

"But this duel sounds like a fight" She responded exasperatedly.

"And that's what makes it more to Harry's advantage" Neville said. "There are no limitations on spells he can use and I imagine Harry has a few up his sleeve, especially if what we saw is anything to go by" he finished confidently.

"So they can use the unforgivables?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Hermione, there are much worse curses than the unforgivables" the boy intoned seriously.

He held his hand up to stop the inevitable interruption.

"The cruciatus" he said with a knowing shudder, "is no doubt the immediate worst of the three, the killing curse, if anything, is a merciful death and the Imperius can be fought, and we both know Harry can do that" he explained. "There are curses that will boil your organs and some that will even expel them from your body" he added. "There are some curses that will kill you in the most painful ways imaginable, the reason they are not considered unforgivable is because they can be blocked with a shield of some sort" he finished.

"I know that" Hermione responded a little annoyed and sad. "But everywhere you read it says the unforgivables are the worst" she added knowingly.

Neville just shook his head, even he understood there were much worse spells than those available.

"So who is your money on?" Fred cut in as he and George took a seat and pulled out a notepad.

"5 Galleons on Harry" Neville said confidently.

"Neville!" Hermione exclaimed. "You're going to bet on Harry's life?" She asked disbelievingly.

Neville at least had the decency to look a little sheepish.

"Why not?" he retorted. "May as well make some easy money from it" he added with a shrug.

"That's the spirit Nev" George praised the boy. "And what about you miss Granger?" he asked waggling his eyebrows at the brunette.

"No" She said firmly and crossed her arms, giving the twins a glare.

"Suit yourself, but you're missing out" he warned her.

"I wouldn't bet even if it wasn't Harry" she responded.

"And why is that?" Fred asked.

"Because it is barbaric" she replied exasperatedly. "And" she continued, "you have the odds too heavily in Harry's favour" she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" the twins asked in unison.

"The Nott's along with the Selwyn's and the Black's are among the best duellers in the wizarding world, it won't be an easy fight" she explained. "Harry could really die" she finished before leaving the table and exiting the hall.

"Is that true?" George asked Neville.

"It is something they are well-known for" he responded with a shrug. "But I don't doubt Harry in any way" he added firmly before he too exited.

"Shall we see who else wants to get in on this o' brother of mine?" Fred asked.

"Indeed brother" lead the way.

Watching the happenings from the side-lines was the youngest Weasley male. He was worried for his friend but he believed he would be successful, he always was after all.

Since Harry had dressed him down in the Great Hall, Ron had taken a lot of time to think about how things had been and where they were headed. He was still bitter about many things but he understood why his friend was acting the way he was. He had to, to make sure that he survives and Ron had been left behind, not only by Harry but many others.

He knew he couldn't change much because he was who he was but he would try to be more understanding of other people and not so judgemental. Ronald Weasley had much to think about still. But it was something he would work on.

 _(BREAK)_

The reaction at the Slytherin table was the most diverse in the hall. Most of the house were grateful to Potter for getting rid of Malfoy and his cronies but they knew they could not openly support the boy, not that many of them would. The former members of the inquisitorial squad were gleeful at the prospect of seeing Potter trounced by Nott Senior. There were three at the table however who were not interested in that opinion.

"You knew about this didn't you?" Tracey questioned her best friend who just nodded casually and continued eating.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" the brunette continued, clearly frustrated.

"You know now don't you" Daphne pointed out.

Tracey huffed at her friend.

"You're not worried?" she asked.

Daphne sighed and pushed her plate away.

"I am" she admitted quietly. "But he knows what will happen if he dies" she added with a frown.

"You threatened his corpse didn't you?" Astoria piped up with a grin.

"I might have" her sister responded inspecting her fingernails.

"Don't you think you should cut him some slack?" Tracey tried with a raised eyebrow.

"No" Daphne answered firmly.

"Ohh Daphne really likes him" Astoria teased.

"Shut up Tori" Daphne responded heatedly.

"It's not like she was lying, you have been writing to him a lot" Tracey pointed out. "And you say his name in your sleep" she added quietly causing Astoria to choke on the mouthful of food she had just taken a bite of.

"Oh please tell me that is true" she begged the older brunette who just nodded and giggled.

"I do not" Daphne bit back hotly but started to blush despite her denial.

The trio were interrupted by a chuckle from their right.

"What are you laughing at Zabini?" Daphne questioned the boy angrily.

"Nothing" he said raising his hands to calm the girl. "I'm just surprised to hear you talking about a boy, I always thought you were inclined the other way" he finished with a shrug.

Daphne was shocked by the usually quiet boys input.

"See that's what I thought too" Tracey said loudly.

"Tracey!" Daphne exclaimed blushing even more.

"Well you never showed an interest before" Tracey replied. "But you definitely got it bad when it caught up to you" she added with a grin.

Daphne put her head in her hands and shook it exasperatedly.

"She made a good choice" Blaise said casually causing all three girls to stare at the boy in disbelief.

"What?" he asked with a frown. "He's rich, powerful and apparently good looking" he explained.

"You think Potter is a good catch?" Tracey asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Neutral here" Blaise responded pointing to himself. "And Nott is a prat, personally I'm pulling for Potter in this one" he explained to the stunned girls.

"Care to make a wager?" George asked sliding in to the seat next to the boy.

"We are offering good odds" Fred added taking the seat on the other side.

"20 galleons on Potter" Blaise replied casually. "Oh come on you saw what he did to three aurors at the same time" he said after seeing the disbelieving looks on the girls faces.

With his business concluded with the twins the boy nodded to the group and left.

"I never thought I would see the day" Tracey said, still in shock.

"Me either" Astoria agreed.

"Well ladies are you getting in on this?" Fred asked waving the notepad they were carrying.

"No thank you boys" Tracey responded. "Daphne has already hit the jackpot and me and Tori are happy enjoying that" she explained shooting her friend a mischievous grin.

"Why can't you get your own boyfriend?" Daphne retorted exasperatedly.

"Oh so he's your boyfriend now?" the girl asked in response. "You didn't tell us that".

Daphne just stood up and left clearly blushing deeply. She really had not meant for it to sound that way but she knew she had put her foot in it and she would pay for that mistake for some time to come.

Tracey and Astoria followed, they had a lot of teasing to catch up on and Daphne had just given them the perfect material.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry awoke the day of the duel in a full fight mind set. He was quiet and contemplative; he was unshakable and he purely meant business. His eyes glowed at the impending fight and he found himself more ready than he had ever been for a confrontation.

He had spent the remainder of his day yesterday alone and thinking. He thought of the man he was going to fight and did all he could to at least feel nothing towards the man. He knew it was best that he was impassive in his approach to the duel and the man he was facing. Killing the man was not something he was particularly keen on doing but he would not hesitate if it was deemed necessary in the moment.

He thought of all the reprehensible things the man had done and taken part in under the guise of a Death Eater. Harry knew you did not get the mark by any feat of morality, those with the mark were murderers, rapist and just simply vile people.

He thought of what had happened over the years to many people, perpetrated by those that carry that mark and the he knew the man he was fighting had been involved in some of those atrocities.

He would show no mercy to a man who had not given it to those he had killed and those he had trespassed upon. If necessary he would kill the man, he saw it as justification for what had happened to himself and many others.

He knew that was what his grandfather would do and he knew that his mother would not hold it against him. He knew that it was him or it would be himself and he would be damned if he were to fall to that man.

He knew he needed to send a message to Tom also. That message being that his followers would get no mercy from him. He would hold them all in equal contempt and he would take them down one by one if he had to to prevent them from continuing to do what they had for decades.

He got dressed in his continued silence. He wore a khaki green t-shirt with black combat trousers and some white trainers. He wanted to be as loose and comfortable as possible. Today was not a day to impress with his sense of fashion, it was a day that business held precedence over all else.

He made his way to the drawing room to take in a light breakfast, he would eat a bigger meal after the duel, if he won.

Arcturus watched the boy and was impressed at how calm and collected he was. He could see the intent in his eyes and he nodded his approval.

"Are you ready?" he asked breaking the silence.

Harry just nodded. He heard the question but he was in no mood for idle chat this morning.

"Good" Arcturus intoned. "Now remember do not hold back at all it is time to show these bastards what you are made of" he instructed firmly. "It would probably be better if you do kill him, it will be one less" he added.

"I will if he makes me" Harry responded neutrally. "At the very least he will regret his challenge" he continued allowing some of the pent up magic to radiate from him, his eyes glowing brighter.

"He will be trying to kill you" Arcturus pointed out knowingly.

"Then he will die" Harry retorted indifferently.

Arcturus just looked at the boy, a boy who was quickly becoming a man and quite a terrifying one at that. He wouldn't openly admit it but he was proud of him especially when he thought back to when he first arrived almost a year ago. It was then he realised that the boy truly did not need him anymore and that thought saddened the older man a little. The last year had not been easy but the boy had given him further purpose and he found the adventures he had shared with him were enjoyable and among the best times he had had in many years. Arcturus Black had found something to be proud of at long last and it was the grandson of his best friend and his little sister. The man was content for the first time in a long time and he had no doubt the boy would be successful. He had taught him just about everything he could and now his fate was in his own hands.

He stood and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Honour Thy Blood Potter" he spoke sincerely before leaving, he wanted to get a good seat after all.

"I will" Harry whispered and steeled himself one final time.

 _(BREAK)_

The stands in the qudditch stadium at Hogwarts were filled to capacity and further seats had been added to accommodate the crowd that had come to witness the duel, Witches and Wizards had poured in from all over the country and beyond to watch the altercation between the two. Word had clearly spread quickly and it seemed the entire wizarding world had wanted to be in attendance.

The crowd watched as Nott senior entered the stadium to a mixture of boos and cheers, the man simply ignored them all and watched the opposing entrance to the stadium in which Potter would enter. He waited only a few minutes before the boy entered to much more cheers than he had received.

Nott had to admit the boy had an unsettling presence but he would be intimidated by the legend that was Harry Potter. Today he would prove the boy had been nothing but lucky and when it came to a duel, he was far superior than the half-blooded bastard.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne, Tracey and Astoria were sat in the stands with their parents, eagerly anticipating the start of the duel. Daphne was and had been quiet all morning. In reality she felt sick and did not trust herself to open her mouth for fear that she would simply vomit.

Surprisingly the group were joined by Blaise Zabini and his mother who they found had been rather polite and courteous to them. Blaise had even offered the girls a reassuring smile and again stated his belief that Harry would be victorious.

They watched as Nott Senior entered the stadium and saw that he looked rather calm despite what he was facing.

They watched Harry enter shortly afterwards and could see that he was ready, the glow of his eyes could be seen by any who cared to look and if truth be told it was rather eerie. There was no doubt that Potter cut the impressive figure.

"That is Harry Potter?" Mrs Zabini asked in disbelief. "My, he is growing into a fine young man" she added with a predatory leer.

"Mum" Blaise said weakly. "He is the same age as me" he pleaded.

"I was just complimenting the young man" his mother replied dismissively.

Daphne frowned at the woman causing her sister and friend to laugh. Blaise shot her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry" Blaise spoke sincerely.

"Did I say something wrong?" Mrs Zabini asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not at all, Daphne is just protecting what she wants" Tracey replied causing the group to laugh.

"Not today" Daphne said hotly but she blushed anyway.

"Oh come on Daph" Tracey pleaded. "You're not going to deny it are especially after what you said yesterday, what was it again?" she asked rhetorically. "Oh yeah".

She tried to continue but found her mouth covered by her friends hand.

"If you say it I will permanently stick your lips together" Daphne threatened waving her wand under her friends nose who was laughing at her reaction.

"Okay, I won't say a word" Trace surrendered. "It looks like they are starting now" she added.

The group turned to watch. Clearly Harry and the other man had just had a conversation of some sort but were now both backing off for the duel to begin.

 _(BREAK)_

A very nervous group of friends were gathered in the stands where the Gryffindor students were sat. They had watched the two enter but had remained silent. It was not until they could be seen having a conversation that the silence was broken by Ron.

"What do you think they are saying?" he asked.

"I'll bet they aren't bidding each other a good morning" Fred said knowingly. "Lord, look at his eyes" he instructed pointing at Harry.

From where they were sat they could clearly see the green glowing orbs of their friend.

"How does he do that?" Neville asked.

"It is a trait of powerful wizards" Hermione cut in knowingly. "It is a way to demonstrate power but Harry is not forcing it" she pointed out. "He looks relaxed so it is just his magic reacting naturally" she explained.

The others just shrugged in reply and watched as the two began backing off, neither taking their eyes off the other.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry entered the stadium, ignoring the crowd entirely, his eyes were firmly fixed on the other man. He walked forward without hesitation.

"Ready to die Potter?" Nott spat.

"I've been ready since last June" Harry answered casually. "Are you ready to die for you non-existent family honour?" Harry asked in reply.

"My family has honour unlike you, you half-blooded little shit" the man responded heatedly.

"It's funny how you hold my blood status against me when you spend half of your time with your lips puckered on an arse of a half-blood" Harry said causing the man to balk and look confused.

"Oh you didn't know" Harry continued in amusement. "The man who you bow to is a half-blood, his real name is Tom Riddle, his father was a muggle" he explained triumphantly.

"You dare" the man hissed. "You dare insult the Dark Lord? I will make you suffer like the blood traitor Weasley's" he spat.

It was Harry's turn to be caught short.

"Oh I was there" Nott continued. "I heard the screams" he added.

Harry could feel the rage boiling within him now.

"They screamed like children when we set that ward device off, I certainly enjoyed it" he finished gleefully seeing that he was getting to the boy. The bright glow of his eyes gave away his anger, and angry people were clumsy in a fight.

"Who?" Harry asked dangerously.

"As if I would tell you" Nott retorted. "Not that you will live through this anyway" he finished confidently.

"Oh you will tell me" Harry mumbled and began backing away, he was finished talking.

Any thoughts of mercy had now been abandoned by the teen. He was going to kill the man there was no longer any debate on the matter in his mind. But first he would get the man to talk, by any means necessary. Theodore Nott Senior was going to suffer for what he had done to the redheaded family.

Harry heard the projected voice of Dumbledore cut in to his thoughts and listened to what the man had to say.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" he began. "It seems that the two combatants are ready, you may begin as you please" he instructed the two.

Harry wasted no time and immediately began firing powerful bludgeoners and bone breakers at the man. He followed up with a few darker curses from his Black knowledge designed to incapacitate the man.

Nott senior quickly conjured a powerful bright gold shield that would protect him from anything short of the unforgivables, it was draining but Potter had left him little choice. Despite the strength of his shield he was knocked back several feet as the first onslaught of curses hit it. He was immediately weary of the boy's power, he clearly had that in abundance.

He waited for a lull in the spells before he dropped the shield and began firing his own in return which they boy dodged with ease. He was impressed by the grace and the speed of the boy, he was indeed a formidable opponent.

He fired a few well-aimed blood boiling curses and a withering curse that he knew the boy would not be able to doge. He watched in horror as the boy simply batted them away as though they were nothing, he had seen very few people capable of that feat.

He had to quickly conjure a shield again as Potter returned fire with some very questionable curses, some he had never seen and had no idea what they would do. He felt his magic draining quite rapidly from the amount needed to maintain the shield. He thought that the boy would tire from using so many powerful spells but he could see that he showed no signs of slowing, he didn't even looked slightly fatigued.

He knew he was in a desperate situation and had one last spell that he knew would cause the boy problems. He dropped his shield and braced himself.

" _FIENDFYRE"_ he roared.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry watched as the fiery dragon erupted from the man's wand and steeled himself. He knew there was no dodging the flames but he had been preparing for this eventuality, he knew that it was a favoured spell amongst Riddle's more powerful followers and he had planned accordingly. The problem was however, he had never attempted what he was about to with real fiendfyre. He was in unknown territory here. He would either succeed triumphantly or he would be reduced to nothing as the fire consumed him.

 _(BREAK)_

"Amazing" Mrs Zabini whispered in awe as the group watched Harry dodging and batting away the lethal spells.

"He is" Ophelia agreed in a similar tone.

"What is that shield?" Tracey asked.

"It is a mage shield" Jonathan answered. "It takes an enormous amount of power to conjure and maintain" he explained. "Only someone confident in their ability would use it as it is very draining" he finished knowingly.

"Why would he use it then?" Astoria asked in confusion.

"Because if he used any other shield, the power of Harry's spells would obliterate it" he responded simply. "He will get desperate though, he won't be able to maintain that for much longer" he added knowledgably.

True to his prediction the group watched as the man dropped his shield and planted his feet firmly bending his knees slightly.

" _FIENDFYRE"_ they heard the man roar and their eyes widened in recognition of the incantation.

They watched in horror as the fiery dragon leapt from the man's wand and charged towards the boy who remained unmoved.

The adults gasped and the teens screamed as they watched the fiery beast engulf the teen seemingly without any resistance from him.

Daphne felt the tears streaming down her face and was not aware that her best friend had placed an arm around her should.

"Look" Astoria suddenly shouted pointing towards the still present dragon.

A disturbance could be seen within the flames.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore watched in shock as the man conjured the accursed flames. He was deeply saddened as he watched the boy disappear within them and cursed himself for allowing this to happen.

He was dragged from his musings by a tap on the shoulder.

He turned to see a very shocked Arcturus Black pointing a very shaky hand towards where the boy had stood.

"He did it" the Baron said disbelievingly. "He actually did it".

 _(BREAK)_

Harry watched as the beast hurtled towards him, he steeled himself and focused his power concentrating on what he wanted to happen. Just as he felt the heat of the flames and could smell his hair and clothes starting to burn he felt a deep coldness overcome him and saw only black. It had worked.

 _FLASHBACK TO MANY MONTHS PREVIOUS_

"What is this spell" Harry asked Arcturus entering the drawing room.

The older man looked at the indicated page and nodded in recognition.

"Your grandfather and I had started to work on a spell against fiendfyre, we never really focused on it that much and never finished it" he explained with a shrug.

"It seems important" Harry said with a raised eyebrow.

"The war had finished and we didn't really think about it after" Arcturus responded. "Finish it if you can most of the work is done already, I tried to a few times over the years but couldn't quite get it right" he finished a little irritably.

Harry left the room deep in thought. He had a few ideas on how he could get the spell finished but it would need some experimentation.

 _END FLASHBACK_

The crowed watched in complete silence and suspense as an inky black mass started to form within the flames. Suddenly the flames were pushed back as the mass formed into an enormous Thestral that dwarfed the dragon.

"What is that?" Astoria asked in shock.

"I have no idea" her father replied in a similar state to his daughter. "I have never seen or heard of anything like it" he added.

Daphne just watched as the dark as night creature formed and repelled the flames. Her heart filled with hope that the boy was ok and she breathed a sigh of relief followed by a sob.

All eyes in the stadium were on the new battle that had begun between the two conjured creatures. The massive black Thestral flew towards the dragon and wrapped itself around the beast, moulding to its form. A struggle could be witnessed as each of the elements fought for dominance and the spectators waited with baited breath for the outcome.

With a final desperate roar the dragon disappeared in an explosion of black gas that flooded the pitch blocking the view of everyone. After a few moments the smoke began to clear and a figure could be seen emerging from it. There stood a slightly singed, but largely unharmed Harry Potter looking nothing short of murderous.

"Unbelievable" Jonathan whispered.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry emerged from the Black fog and could see that the other man was exhausted. He approached him and easily batted away the desperate curse the man fired towards him. He fired a bonebreaker, catching the man's wand hand, causing him to drop his wand with a pained scream.

Harry fired a single arrow embedding the projectile into the man's shoulder and eliciting another scream from him. The arrow was one from the Black repertoire of spells imbued with a curse that would cause heart failure, the man was already dead, he just didn't know it yet.

"Who was it?" Harry asked.

The man just looked confused at the boy's question.

"Who was with you at the Weasley's" Harry clarified.

"Fuck you Potter" the man retorted spitting a mouthful of blood in his direction.

"Have it your way" Harry responded coldly and crudely pulled the arrow from the man's shoulder causing him to grunt from the discomfort. "This arrow has a very deadly curse on it" he explained to the man. "I am sure you are feeling the effects of it right now" he surmised. "If you want to live then you will tell me what I want to know" he demanded.

Nott could indeed feel the effects of the curse settling in and it was not very pleasant. He would not give the boy what he wanted though, he would take it to the grave with him.

"Go to hell" he spat and grinned triumphantly.

Harry knelt by the man, he was tired of him now and just wanted the answers he sought. He pushed the man firmly to the ground, rammed two of his fingers into the open wound and kneeled on his broken hand. The man screamed again in agony and screamed further still has Harry began to allow some passive magic to pass through his fingers.

"Tell me what I want to know and I will stop" Harry promised.

"Alright" the suffering man conceded. "It was Rowle and Rookwood" he said breathily. "Now counter the curse for fuck sake" he commanded.

Harry just smiled at the man, he would get no mercy today. He could not allow this man to get away with what he had done to Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Luna Lovegood.

"I will pass on your regards" Harry said coldly and got to his feet and proceeded to the exit.

He was almost at the door when he heard his name screamed in anguish. He turned to see Nott senior collapse face first to the floor clutching his chest with his broken hand and his wand in the other.

He simply shook his head at the man and left.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore watched in shock as Harry emerged almost unscathed from the fog and proceeded to subdue the man. He was about to stand to intervene, seeing that Nott was no longer armed and clearly could not continue when he felt a firm hand on his forearm.

"You will not intervene" Arcturus commanded firmly. "Clearly they still have unresolved business" he added.

Dumbledore remained in his seat and watched as Harry interrogated the man. 'He must have something he wants' he mused. He was not comfortable with what the young man was doing but knew he would not appreciate any interference. Dumbledore blocked out the screams from Nott senior as best as possible but was shaken from his reverie with a scream from the crowd as someone shouted Harry's name.

He saw Nott senior fall face first to the ground dead. He shook his head despairingly. Witnessing death never got any easier.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne watched as Harry was gaining information from the fallen man in a not so pleasant manner. She heard the screams of the man and could not believe that the boy would do such a thing regardless of how despicable the man was.

"Why is he doing that?" Astoria asked a little distraught by what she was witnessing.

"He must have his reasons" Jonathan replied confidently. "Harry is not a cruel person" he added assuredly.

Daphne watched sadly as Harry walked away. It was not fair that the boy had been given such a fate. She saw Nott Senior get to his feet and grab his wand. He pointed it at the retreating back of the boy.

"HARRY" she screamed desperately but her warning was not needed as she saw the older man fall to the ground dead. She froze in disbelief briefly before she shot to her feet and raced from the stadium followed quickly by the group she was with.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry left the stadium and was met by an apprehensive looking first year Gryffindor.

"Hello Miss McDonald" he greeted her with a weak smile.

"Are you ok Mr Potter?" the girl asked, clearly concerned. "I wasn't allowed to come in and watch" she told him sadly.

"I'm glad you weren't" Harry replied. "There are things that a young lady should not see" he added. "As you can see I am ok" he reassured the girl. "Are you looking forward to the summer?" he asked changing the subject.

"No sir" the girl responded quietly. "I don't like the orphanage" she said sadly.

Harry was taken aback by the revelation that the girl was an orphan. He truly felt her pain knowing himself what it was like growing up without parents. He pulled the girl into a reassuring hug.

"I know it is hard growing up without your parents, I had to live with my aunt and uncle and I did not like it" he informed the girl. "But your life is what you make of it" he explained. "You really can do anything you set your mind to" he said.

"Thank you sir" the girl said giving him a genuine smile.

"It is Harry to you Miss" Harry replied giving her a bow as he released her from the hug.

"Then you have to call me Natalie" the girl insisted.

"I can do that" Harry said with a smile. "But for now I believe there is someone else who wants to speak to me" he added spotting Daphne with several others watching them from behind the girl.

"Ok, I'll see you later Harry" the girl responded giving him a final hug before she departed.

Harry watched her as she left and felt saddened by her circumstances, something he would ponder later.

He turned to look at Daphne who was looking torn at how she was feeling. She hesitated momentarily before throwing herself in his arms and sobbed into his chest. Harry just held her and waited for her to calm herself.

"Why did you kill him?" she asked eventually, her voice full of emotion.

"It was him" Harry answered coldly. "it was him and two others that attacked the Weasley's" he explained.

"Then he got what he deserved" Jonathan said firmly. "Well fought Harry" he added. "I will certainly never doubt you and your ability".

Harry just nodded, he wanted nothing more than to be alone right now. He pushed Daphne away and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll write" he promised and he walked away and disapparated the moment he had passed through the gates.

"What's wrong with him?" Tracey asked in disbelief. "He won he should be happy".

"He needs to be alone" Jonathan replied firmly. "He just killed a man, something he clearly takes no joy in, he needs time to put everything in place" he finished knowingly.

"Will he be ok?" Daphne asked still watching the gate in which the boy had passed through and disappeared.

"He will" Jonathan reassured her. "He is strong, but strong people need time to heal also, all you can do is be there when he needs you" he explained to his daughter.

"I will be" Daphne whispered to herself. She understood why he had done what he had, it was definitely justified. She just hoped he was not too hard on himself.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort emerged from his pensieve feeling very mixed emotions. He had just watched a memory of the duel between Nott and Potter that he had obtained from one of his followers.

He was very impressed at all aspects of Potters fighting style. He was powerful, fast and very elusive. In addition he was ruthless and non-hesitant and had some serious skill as demonstrated by how he had dealt with the fiendfyre, he had never witnessed a spell like it.

He knew that he had to duel the younger man sooner rather than later before he could become a true threat to the Dark Lord. He shuddered at the thought of the boy being left unchecked. The thoughts of the prophecy would haunt him until he could obtain it, something he needed Potter for.

Lord Voldemort was concerned and his concern was increasing, something had to be done about the boy.

 **A/N**

 **Another chapter done and one with some action in. I hope you enjoyed it and please review, favourite and follow. I am astounded that since I updated last my favourites and followers have more than tripled. Thank you all for investing your time into my little story, it is very much appreciated.**

 **TBR**


	13. Confronting A Foe

Chapter 13: Confronting a Foe

The students that had been meeting since the beginning of the school year had congregated in an empty classroom on the second floor of the castle after exiting the stadium. They had not planned this meeting but it seemed they had need to discuss what they had just witnesses. They simply stood in silence for some time before Hermione spoke.

"I wasn't expecting that" she almost whispered, shaking her head.

"What were you expecting?" Neville asked. "You heard Dumbledore point out that there were no limitations" he added.

"But I didn't recognise most of those spells and he used fiendfyre, Harry should have been burnt to ashes, as far as I know there is no spell that can do what he did" she said rapidly.

"Hermione you will never be able to know or learn every spell there is" George explained. "Most spells, especially ones like those, can't be learnt from books you can buy, I'll bet that most of that was family magic" he continued.

Hermione just bit her lip worriedly. She thought that she would be able to hold her own in a duel but after witnessing what she had, she knew she had no chance.

"I don't think I could do that, fight like that and use magic like that" she said, breaking from her own thoughts.

The majority of the group nodded their agreement.

"I could" Fred broke in.

Upon seeing the looks of surprise on the faces of those gathered he continued.

"After what happened to mum and Ginny, I wouldn't think twice" he said firmly. "I guess that's why Harry can do it and make it look so easy, just look at everything he has been through and what has been done to him" he explained. "You-Know-Who killed his parents" he pointed out. "If that doesn't explain why to you then you have never had someone close to you killed by him or his nutters" he finished.

"I could too" Neville piped up much to the surprise of the room. "My parents were tortured into insanity by his followers" he informed them.

The people in the room were not aware of this and they all gave a look of sympathy towards the boy.

"My parents were killed fighting him" Susan Bones interjected. "I wouldn't have a problem with it".

"Are you all forgetting that Harry killed that man in cold blood" Ron said exasperatedly. "He had clearly already won, using a lot of dark magic too, and he still killed him" he added shaking his head. "He's turning dark, like I said" he finished a little sadly.

Ron had truly hope that he had been wrong about his friend, but what he had seen today proved otherwise.

"He killed him for you and your family you prat" an angry voice sounded from the door.

Daphne had found the group and was now shaking in rage at what the younger Weasley had said.

"What?" Ron asked, gaping a the revelation.

"He was one of the ones that killed your mother and your sister" she pointed out. "What he did he did for you and because the bastard deserved it, so just shut up with your judgement before you understand" she finished angrily.

"He did that for us?" Fred asked quietly, clearly shocked. "He was one of them?" he added in a fury of his own.

"Yes" Daphne responded heatedly. "Harry is not a killer because he enjoys it, he does it because he has to".

"What do you know Greengrass?" Ron questioned hotly. "You barely know him".

"I write to him every day" she informed the boy. "When was the last time any of you wrote?" she asked accusingly. "He's not the same person you used to know, that I can guarantee" she added knowingly.

Ron and Hermione in particular were looking guilty.

"You're right, he is different" Ron replied with a scowl. "The Harry I know wouldn't have killed him" he said sounding disappointed.

"The Harry you know does not exist anymore" Daphne returned hotly. "He grew up because he had to and he does what he does because he has to, you know his past so you should understand more than anyone else, but you're the only one judging him" she berated the boy.

"Did you speak to him?" Hermione asked quietly. "I saw you follow him out, is he ok?" she inquired further.

"I did speak to him and he will be ok" the blonde replied. "It's not the first nor the last time he will have to kill" she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"He's killed before" Daphne said with a shrug. "It's not my place to tell you anything but that wasn't the first time".

The students were surprised by that information and some started to understand the burden of being Harry Potter.

"I don't think any differently about him" Neville announced.

"And so you shouldn't boy" Arcturus said entering the room. "The old fool told me you would be here" he added to Daphne. "If you don't mind I'd like you to come and spend some time with Potter tomorrow" he requested. "He needs a distraction" he continued. "I spoke to your parents and Dumbledore and they agree" he finished.

"What do I say to him?" Daphne asked weakly.

"You say nothing, you just be there for him" Arcturus explained. "I watched a good man like him lose himself and the last thing any of us need is for that to happen".

Daphne nodded. "I'll be there for him" she assured the man.

"Good" Arcturus said simply. "This portkey will bring you to the house at 10am" he informed the girl, handing her a wooden Black crest.

He turned to leave when he was stopped by an angry voice.

"This is your fault" Ron shouted at the man. "You're the reason that Harry is how he is now" he said pointing an accusing finger at him.

Arcturus looked at the boy critically before responding.

"Potter is what he is because that is who he always should have been and would have had he been raised properly" he retorted. "I watched that boy when he was a 14 year old weakling stand against the Dark Lord the night he came back" he continued.

The whole room was paying attention to what the older man was saying.

"He fought well for someone who had piss-poor training, and even though he lost, he stood tall and looked that bastard in the eye and still told him to go and fuck himself" he added proudly. "I watched him as a child be tortured time and time again and he refused to die on his knees, he looked the man in the eye and laughed at him" he continued further. "Potter has always been who he is, he just didn't know it until then" he finished.

"What is your interest in Harry?" Hermione asked after a moment. "You're family isn't exactly known for being light" she added quietly.

"The boy is of my blood" Arcturus said simply. "You all see him as a Potter because that is the name he carries, but he has just as much Black blood in him as he does Potter" he pointed out. "Hell the boy looks like my line" he added. "But any other reasons are my own, he knows them and that will be sufficient for you" he said firmly. "And Potter may fight for you all but he is not light, he merely fights for what is right and killing that bastard is what is right and that is his right" he concluded.

When no one said anything he gave them a final piece of advice.

"Potter does not need to be judged by you, he needs your support and as his friends you should give him that at the very least" he explained. "If you are not willing to kill or be killed for your cause then you have no business on a battlefield but there are lots of other ways you can help" he finished firmly and exited the room.

"He's right" Hermione said in realisation. "If we can't fight then we can do other things to help".

"Such as?" Hannah Abbott asked.

"We can make potions and learn healing spells" Hermione replied with a shrug. "I'm sure there's lots of other things we can do" she added.

The group took some time to think of what else they could do to help other than fight.

"We need to…"

"Write to our brothers" Fred and George cut in.

The students bid their farewells to each other and headed to their common rooms. They had all been given a lot to think of and they also had their OWLS and NEWTS to study for respectively. The following week would see the start of their exams and none of them felt ready. With the excitement of the day over with they had time to focus on them now.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry returned to the house after disapparating and immediately felt better. He released a deep breath and took a moment to compose himself. He did not feel bad at all for killing Nott and that's what seemed to be bothering the young man the most. It was the first time that he could have saved a man he fought so ruthlessly but he didn't. He knew it was the revelation that the man had been a part of the group responsible for murdering the Weasleys that made him take it in his stride as he was, it just surprised him at how detached he felt about it.

"Rowle and Rookwood" he muttered to himself, those bastards were next.

He removed his charred clothes and showered. He cast a few healing charms on his skin and added a little burn salve on the more tender parts of his flesh. He knew he had been fortunate that his burns had not been much worse considering the fact the man used fiendfyre, although not completely unexpected it gave way to thoughts of how reckless the man had been. If he had poor control of the spell many people could have been injured, young witches and wizards included.

Harry had certainly gotten the measure of morality possessed by Tom's followers; it was non-existent. He now knew the time had come to bring him in to the open and although he knew he couldn't beat him, the world deserved to know the danger that it was facing. It would at the very least give them a chance to prepare as much as they could before it was too late and they were simply attacked in the streets or in the dead of night, the way Tom liked to operate.

His musings were interrupted by the arrival of Dobby who appeared with a small pop in the room looking very tired.

"Harry Potter sir" the elf began with a bow. "Dobby has emptied the room sir and the goblins is working on selling the valuables sir" he explained.

"Thank you Dobby" Harry said with a soft smile. "If you could return anything to the room that is not valuable, I would appreciate it" he intoned to the elf.

"Yes sir" the elf replied with a salute before popping away.

Harry made his way back to the drawing to see if he could get a late lunch. It seemed that Elgar had foreseen his needs and a bowl of soup and some bread were already waiting for him. He sat and ate realising that he was very hungry, something he hadn't felt until he began eating. He had just finished eating when Arcturus with a gentle crack.

The older man looked at the boy contemplatively and nodded in satisfaction before taking a seat.

"You weren't hit with anything we didn't see were you?" he questioned the teen.

"No" Harry said shaking his head. "He didn't get me with anything" he added.

"Good" the older man replied.

The two sat in silence for some time before Arcturus could no longer bear it.

"What are you feeling?" he asked.

"Nothing" Harry answered simply. "I don't feel anything".

The older man just nodded.

He knew as long as the boy hadn't started to enjoy the killing then there was no issue there.

"Do you feel better?" he continued. "He was one of them who got your friends".

"It wasn't about me feeling better" Harry responded shaking his head. "It was about what he deserved, if there wasn't so many people watching he would have gotten much worse" he explained seriously.

"Justice then" the older man agreed with a nod.

"That's all" Harry confirmed.

The silence took hold again and this time it was Harry who broke it.

"Tomorrow" he said. "We will draw him out tomorrow night" he explained.

"I thought as much" Arcturus responded. "You have a guest coming in the morning though, you need some time to just relax, you won't last if you don't have some time to just have some normality" he added firmly.

"This is normality for me" Harry mumbled.

"It doesn't have to be" Arcturus intoned. "If you want what you see on the streets day to day then you have to take it Potter, I imagine that after having the life you have had that is the thing you want more than anything else?" he questioned.

"It is" Harry answered. "That is all I want" he added more firmly.

"Then you take it" Arcturus stated. "If your dream is that simple then it makes you a better man than many, it is a noble dream and one I can't find fault in" he said appraisingly.

Harry nodded. "Who is coming tomorrow?" he asked.

"Miss Greengrass will arrive at 10am" the older man explained.

Harry nodded and smiled at the thought, it would be nice to spend some time with Daphne.

He drew his wand and sent off two separate patronuses to inform the others of the plan. Tomorrow would be interesting at the very least. If Tom did not show himself then Harry would have to call him out publically, something he was not keen on, it would not do to be tarred with the same brush that Dumbledore had been all year. He needed the man to be seen by the eyes of many and not for them to hear what would be perceived as the ramblings of a teenager, and after his actions today, he was not sure how he would be received by the public.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was sat in his office replaying the day in his mind. Young Harry had been impressive, there was no doubt of that. The old man was satisfied at how the young man had conducted himself even if he did not agree entirely with his method. It was something that Albus could not consider doing himself but he understood the necessity for such actions during times of need. He knew Harry had his reasons and he would not question them, that was not his prerogative nor right to do so.

He sighed sadly at the burden the boy carried. He wished more than anything that he was capable of shouldering the responsibility for him but he simply wasn't. Even in his younger years he doubted that he could carry such a load even half as well as the young man was.

"I will help you any way I can my boy" he mumbled to himself.

Fawkes trilled in approval at his companions sentimental vow causing the older man to smile.

"It is the least I can do after all" he added stroking the birds red plumage.

He was dragged from his musings by the arrival of a beautiful Thestral patronus.

"Tomorrow, 9pm, front gates" it said in the voice of Harry Potter.

The twinkle in the older wizards eyes vanished immediately as he nodded.

"Tomorrow it is" he whispered.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius Black was in the training room at Grimmauld Place working on his spells with his fiancé. Although he could not teach her the family magic he had learnt, there was still much he could show her having been a fully qualified auror before his unlawful imprisonment. He found that she was still a very gifted witch and her physical strength was something to behold, one of the few benefits of lycanthropy.

After witnessing his godson in the duel today Sirius knew he had a lot of ground to cover. To say he was proud of the young man would be an understatement, he had simply been incredible.

The duo's training was interrupted by the arrival of Harry's patronus.

"Tomorrow, 9pm, Hogwarts" it spoke.

Sirius steeled himself. "And so it begins" he said darkly.

Marlene pulled the man into a hug and held him tightly. She wanted nothing more than to bind the man and refuse to let him leave but she knew this was something he would not miss for anything. The man would give his life for the boy if he had to and Marlene understood, She would do the same for the man she clung to in this moment. She would not stand in his way, she just hoped Harry and Sirius would watch each other's backs when the time came. She knew they would. She knew how much the two loved each other. In a fairer world they would have been as a father and son would, but this world was far from it. Instead of having that parental relationship, they would have a relationship of brotherhood.

"You'll be fine" she said offering him a weak smile. "You have Harry with you after all".

"It is Harry I worry about" he replied sadly. "He shouldn't have to do this" he added shaking his head.

"But he does and he wouldn't have it any other way, you know that" she responded.

"I know" Sirius sighed. "And I know he can do it or I would be dragging him away from here" he added firmly.

"He is lucky to have you" Marlene said sincerely placing a gentle kiss on the man's cheek.

"I'm lucky to have him" Sirius replied with a soft smile. "He is the closest thing I will ever have to a son" he continued.

"I'm sorry" Marlene intoned sincerely her eyes filling with tears.

"Why are you apologising?" Sirius asked confused.

"Because I can't give you children of your own" she answered holding him tighter and sobbing.

Sirius was suddenly hit with a realisation. They hadn't discussed children as yet, it was something he had not thought much about. Her scars. The werewolf attack must have made her unable to carry children.

"I couldn't give you children if I wanted to" he whispered sadly. "It's just not meant to be" he added.

"You can't?" she questioned to which he shook his head.

"We should have spoken about this sooner I guess" he said smiling weakly. "12 years in the care of the Dementors takes that ability away" he explained.

"So you don't hate me?" she asked him with a hint of hope in her voice.

"I never could" he answered sincerely. "Harry is my heir, I accepted a long time ago that I would not have a child of my own" he added with a shrug.

"I'm not sure I would make a good mother, the wolf makes me protective but it dampens the maternal side a lot, I've seen it happen" she explained. "I've even seen women eat their own children during a change" she continued grimly.

The two stayed in silence for a while, simply holding each other.

"So it changes nothing then?" Marlene asked.

"Not at all" Sirius answered. "It looks as though the Black name ends with me unless Harry chooses to give it to one of his children, if he has any" Sirius said and began laughing.

"What's funny?" Marlene asked with a frown.

"Just imagining Harry changing nappies and singing lullabies" Sirius explained. "I'm not sure I could picture it right now" he added shaking his head in amusement.

"I'm sure he would be fine" Marlene said. "He is very caring" she mused.

"He is" Sirius agreed. "Anyway, shall we call it a night?" he asked. "I need to be in top form for tomorrow".

"I like the sound of that" She replied with a grin and pulled the man into a deep kiss before walking away, leaving a dumb looking Sirius rooted to the spot.

"Damn woman" he mumbled in amusement. "I'll never work out how she does that to me" he said as he left the room.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne woke the next morning feeling equally excited and nervous, this was going to be the first time she was going to spend some planned time alone with Harry.

She showered and dressed in a simple green blouse, jeans and light boots, she didn't want to be too formal and wear a dress or robes.

"How do I look?" She asked Tracey who had been watching her friend fretting as she got ready.

"You look fine Daph" Tracey assured her. "Here" she said tapping the blonde's hair with her wand. "That's better" she finished approvingly.

"Thank you" Daphne replied sincerely. "I just don't want anything to go wrong" she added.

"And it won't" Tracey assured her again. "Now let's get breakfast, I doubt with a body like his you'll get any bacon there" she said with a shake of her head.

The two girls made their way to the Great Hall to eat and were interrupted by the arrival of Hermione and Neville.

"Here Daphne" Hermione said handing the girl a stack of envelopes.

"Thank you" the blonde replied gratefully smiling at the girl.

"What's that?" Tracey asked.

"Well seeing how Harry reacted to everything yesterday I thought it would be nice for people to write him letters or notes so he knows we don't hold anything against him for what he did" Daphne explained.

"That's really nice of you" Tracey intoned thoughtfully. "I'm sure it will mean a lot to him".

Daphne blushed. "I'm sure the papers won't be so nice about it" she mused.

"When are they ever?" Hermione said sounding irritated. "Tell him that we all miss him and I'm holding him to his promise of a visit" she added with a smile.

"I will" Daphne responded. "And thank everyone for me will you?" she asked of the other girl who nodded to the request.

"And tell Lord Potter that the house of Longbottom supports him and offers our hand in friendship and kinship" Neville cut in formally handing a surprised Daphne a roll of parchment.

"I'm sure he will appreciate it" Daphne said to the boy with a slight bow. "Thank you" she added appreciatively.

"Daphne, it is almost 10" Tracey interjected indicating the time on her watch.

"Shit" Daphne half yelped jumping to her feet in time to feel the pull of the portkey in her pocket.

"Albus, did Miss Greengrass just activate a portkey?" Minerva asked slightly confused.

"I see you are becoming familiar with the wards" Dumbledore replied with a smile. "She had my permission to use it, she is going to visit Mr Potter I apologise for not informing you, it seems that old habits do die hard" he mused. "I will be sure to inform you in the future" he finished with a bow.

"She is going to visit Potter?" Minerva asked surprised.

"It seems that they are becoming rather fond of each other" Dumbledore answered, his eyes twinkling in happiness.

"My, he is much more like his Grandfather than I realised" Minerva muttered in amusement.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne landed in a beautifully decorated drawing room and was immediately greeted by Arcturus.

"Miss Greengrass" he greeted her with a bow. "Potter will be with you shortly I'm sure" he explained. "Please take a seat and I will see where he has gotten to" he finished before leaving the room.

Daphne took a seat and tried to calm her nerves. She didn't know why she was so nervous but she had never felt and apprehension like it. Before she could dwell too much on how she was feeling the door opened and Harry walked in. She immediately stood and pulled him into a tight hug, much to his surprise.

"I thought you would hate me" he said pulling her into his arms.

"No" Daphne said softly. "My dad explained everything, I don't hold it against you, you did what you thought was right and that's all that matters" she responded reassuringly. "Here" she added handing the stack of letters Hermione had given her. "Everyone want you to know that they support you and miss you" she explained.

"Thank you" Harry said sincerely. "What would you like to do?" he asked her.

"Well you could give me a tour" She suggested.

"That would be a good start" he replied. "I'm sorry I've never spent time with a girl like this" he added apologetically.

"So you're trip to a veela conclave was a rumour" Daphne spoke teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

"Partly" Harry said dragging his hand through his hair nervously. "But it really isn't what you think" he continued seeing a look of shock appear on the girls face.

"Well how was it?" she asked confusedly.

"I bumped into a group of veela when I was hunting the rat" he explained. "They were attacked by Death Eaters and I helped them out" he finished with a shrug.

"I see" She replied neutrally. "And you didn't…"

"No" Harry cut in firmly. "I Kissed one of them but that's all, I've never done anything like that" he added sincerely.

"I couldn't blame you if you had" Daphne replied with a shrug. "Veela can be very convincing when they want something".

"I'm immune to the allure" Harry explained.

"You really are full of surprises aren't you" Daphne said shaking her head.

"I hear that a lot" Harry returned with a chuckle. "Shall we?" he asked offering his arm to which she took.

Harry led her through the many rooms of the house that he rarely went into and then led her outside to the garden.

"This is where I do most of my muggle training" he explained pointing the various pieces of gym equipment.

"What is it?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Well those are weights" he said pointing to the various bars, plates and benches. "They help build strength and endurance".

"And that?" she asked pointing to a punch bag that had a skipping rope hanging from it.

"That is a punch bag, you punch it" Harry explained, stating the obvious. "The other thing is a skipping rope, you use them both to build fitness and footwork" he added seeing the confused look on her face. "The other thing is a tyre, it's from a muggle vehicle, I hit it with the sledgehammer" he said pointing to the heavy tool. "It builds endurance and conditions me" he finished.

"How long do you do this for?" she asked in awe after his explanation.

"I'm usually out here for a couple of hours a day" he responded casually.

Daphne just shook her head. She understood that what he was doing was necessary, she just never expected the amount of work the boy put into everything.

"Can I see your room?" she asked with a slight blush.

"My room?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow. "What would your mother say?" he added with an amused grin.

"No I didn't mean it like that" she sputtered. "I just meant, well I don't know" she finished weakly causing Harry to laugh.

"It's ok, I was joking" Harry interjected attempting to save the girl any further embarrassment. "But I won't tell if you don't" he added causing her to blush.

Harry led her back through the house and into his room.

"It's not much" he said with a shrug. "But it's all I need".

Daphne took the room in. It was nicely decorated but was very basic, it looked more like an office with a bed. There were many books lining the shelves and even a sizeable stack on the desk. She noticed the photos on the bedside table and picked one up. She could see four very happy looking adults and the older woman was carrying a bundle of white blankets in which a tuft of black hair was just visible.

"That's my parents and my grandparents" Harry explained sadly. "My grandmother passed away not long after this picture was taken".

Daphne looked at each occupant closely. Her eyes landed on the redheaded woman in the photo who was smiling and waving at her.

"Your mother was very beautiful" she said quietly.

"She was" Harry agreed. "And very intelligent, no idea how my father ended up with her" he finished shaking his head with a laugh.

"I'm sure he had his merits" Daphne replied.

"He was very bright too, I just don't get how my mum put up with him and Sirius, they were a nightmare apparently" he said with a shrug.

Daphne looked at the other woman in the photo and immediately smiled at the expression of adoration on her face. She was clearly very proud of having a grandson.

"You look a lot like your grandmother" she said suddenly. "I see your father in you but you look more like her" she added surprised.

"I look more like a Black but I am just like my grandfather according to anyone who knew him, but I did get my Mother's eyes" he responded with a smile.

"You miss them" Daphne stated simply to which Harry shook his head.

"You can't miss what you never had" he said sadly. "I knew nothing about my family until I came here, I only had one memory of my parents and it was awful" he finished shaking his head.

"You could remember something from that young?" Daphne asked incredulously.

"I didn't until I encountered my first Dementor" he said darkly. "That's why I practiced so hard on a patronus, the memory was unbearable" he spoke quietly.

"What was it?" Daphne questioned softly, her eyes full of sadness at the effect the memory was clearly having on him.

"Their final moments" he said simply. "My father confronting him and dying and my mother begging for my life before he murdered her" he explained beginning to shake in anger.

"I'm so sorry" Daphne replied in horror and pulled him into a hug.

"It's ok" he reassured her. "You didn't know".

"This is my most valuable possession" he said taking the photo from her. "It's what I use as a memory for my patronus. It shows me that people did care for me for a time in my life" he explained smiling.

"Granger said your patronus was a stag" Daphne said flatly.

"It was at first but it changed after what happened in the graveyard" Harry replied. "Arcturus showed me memories of my grandparents and gave me a much needed kick up the arse" he said with a chuckle. "Both my parents and grandparents were very gifted and I wasn't living up to them, so I've been working on it" he finished.

"My parents are the same" Daphne said. "But after Umbridge I doubt any of us are ready for our OWLS" she added bitterly.

"If you have the theory down I can help with your spell work" Harry offered sincerely.

"You have missed the whole of fifth year" Daphne pointed out.

"But I have already done my OWLS Miss Greengrass" Harry retorted smugly.

"What!?" She yelped. "When?" she asked with a frown.

"I did them in January" Harry answered with a shrug and removed an envelope from his bedside draw which he handed to the girl.

Daphne took the envelope with an air of scepticism and opened it. Her eyebrows raised in surprise after reading the contents.

"Wow" she said simply. "Well I think it is safe to say you are more than living up to them" she said proudly with sincerity. "This really is impressive" she praised.

"Thank you" Harry replied gratefully. "I just want to honour them the way they deserve".

"You already are" Daphne assured him with a smile. "And I'm sure you always will" she added.

"I will do my best" he returned a little sadly.

Daphne noticed the sadness and took his hand in hers. She pulled him so he was sat on the bed and she joined him.

"I don't know half of what it is you are facing" she began. "But I do know that you are handling it better than anyone else would" she continued sincerely. "I don't know them but I would bet everything I have that they would be proud of you and what you are doing" she added tapping the photo in his hand.

"Thank you" Harry replied quietly.

"Everyone at school is proud of you" she said indicating the stack of envelopes she had brought with her. "And so am I" she added with a smile. "I know you don't like hearing it but you are a hero to so many people, they believe in you and so do I. If we had more people like you then people like You-Know-Who would never become a problem" she finished sincerely.

Harry nodded and gave the girl a soft smile. He didn't like being hailed a hero but when Daphne explained it it gave him a feeling of warmth and worth, something had certainly been lacking in life.

"How about I show you my other training room?" Harry suggested.

"Another training room?" Daphne asked a little surprised.

"It's where I work on my magic and spend most of my time" he explained.

"Lead the way" Daphne said shaking her head.

Harry led her through the house once again and into the training room. Daphne just stared in awe as she saw the room and could feel the ambient magic within it.

"I assume you use those to cast spells on" she said questioningly, indicating the many dummies in the far corner of the room.

"Yes" Harry answered. "They are special dummies created by the Black family" he explained. "Just watch".

He flicked is wand at one of the dummies and it immediately began firing curses at him. Daphne screamed as bright green one hurtled towards the boy and he barely managed to conjure a granite slab to block it. Harry flicked his wand pausing the dummy.

"That wasn't a real killing curse" he explained. "They can fire bonebreakers at worst but that's all, the colours are just indicators".

"You scared the hell out of me" she chastised, giving him a slap on the shoulder. "You could have told me before you started you idiot" she added weakly.

"I'm sorry" Harry said trying to hide a smirk. "I didn't think" he added.

"Obviously" Daphne returned with a scowl. "Now will you help me with my spell work? She asked, still a little annoyed with the boy.

"What do you need help with?" he asked.

"Defence mostly" she shrugged. "But transfiguration too, it's not my strongest subject" she added ashamedly.

"Ok, well defence should be easy for you your patronus would get you an O by itself" he said confidently. "Show me your stunning spell" he instructed pointing to the dummy. "Don't worry the wards here stop any kind of trace" he added seeing her look of confusion.

Daphne was nervous about showing him her magic, she knew she was not even close to his level. She steeled herself and took a deep breath.

" _Stupefy"_ she said confidently, drawing her wand in a circular motion followed by a sharp jab.

"Not bad" Harry praised. "But the circular motion is unnecessary, you just need to draw on your magic quickly" he explained releasing his wand and firing a stunner instantly. "You try" he instructed. "Just feel your magic and guide it, it will do the work".

Daphne prepared herself once again and could feel her magic. She did as Harry instructed and was astounded that it worked on her first attempt.

"Good" Harry praised. "It will work for all basic spells but the more difficult the spell gets the harder it is to do" he explained.

"How do you do it silently" Daphne asked with a frown.

"That takes a lot more control and a lot of practice, most people won't ever be able to do it" he informed her. "But it is something you can work on there's no rush" he said handing her one of the books on the shelf. "Spells like a patronus do not work non-verbally though neither do the unforgivables" he said sounding grateful.

"You think I can do it?" she asked a little shyly.

"If you are determined enough" He replied with a smile. "Now let's go through the rest of the fifth year defence and transfiguration" he suggested.

The duo spent a couple of uninterrupted hours where Harry helped her master the spells and transfigurations she would need to complete her OWLS. He even gave her some bonus transfigurations that would certainly bolster her grades. Daphne was tired by the time they were both satisfied with her capabilities with the required work.

"You are a really good teacher" she praised him. "Better than any defence professor we ever had" she added with a frown.

Harry just chuckled and shook his head. He knew they had all been pretty terrible, with the exception of Lupin.

"Do you think you could show me something that will help me defend myself better?" Daphne asked quietly. "I don't mean your family magic" she added quickly.

"There are a couple of things I can show you" he said scratching his chin. "Lethal or non-lethal?" he asked.

"Erm… both I guess" she answered nervously.

"Ok, the first one is technically non-lethal but it can cause death from blood loss, it will definitely stop any attacks like Malfoy tried" he explained.

" _Pila Crepitus"_ he said casually pointing his wand at the dummy.

Daphne watched in shock as the pink ball of light fired from his wand at lightning speed and hit the dummy in the groin, causing the area to explode in a spray of blood and gore.

"Shit" she exclaimed in awe.

"Nasty" Harry agreed. "That will certainly end a line or two" he added. "You try" he instructed gesturing to the dummy.

Daphne readied herself. She had never tried a spell with such damaging effects but she knew there may be a chance she would have to use it.

" _Pila Crepitus"_ she intoned firmly and watched as her spell hit.

"Good" Harry praised. "There are only two shields that will stop that and it can be redirected but it is very quick so probably better to dodge" he explained. "That is a spell of my own so no one will know what it does except you of course" he finished.

Daphne just nodded and waited for him to continue.

"The next one is definitely lethal" he said seriously.

" _Carnificare"_ he intoned darkly.

A beam of orange light flew towards to the dummy and simply cleaved it in two.

"It is a modified cutting curse" he explained to a shocked looking Daphne. "It will cut someone in half, as you saw, or can be used to decapitate, no one will expect you to know it, it is considered to be quite dark" he added. "Try it, it may save your life" he continued seeing her looking a little scared.

Daphne swallowed deeply. She was not keen on the spell but remembered how vulnerable she felt when she had been attacked.

" _Carnificare"_ she said grimly and watched as the beam of light sliced the head clean in half leaving only the lower jaw attached.

"It's not pleasant" Harry said sadly. "But it might be necessary" he added firmly.

Daphne just nodded and checked the time.

"My portkey will be taking me back soon" she explained sadly.

Harry smiled comfortingly at her and suddenly had an idea.

"Come with me" he said grabbing her arm and leading her from the room, not waiting for her response.

He took her back to his room and sat her on the bed. He began rifling through one of the trunks he had gotten from Gringotts until he found what he was looking for.

"If everything goes to plan tonight things are going to be very different tomorrow" he said to the confused girl.

"What do you mean?" she asked sounding concerned.

Harry sighed. "I'm bringing him out in the open tonight, everyone needs to know he is back" he explained.

"You're going to face him?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, I need to lure him somewhere public" he replied somewhat reluctantly.

"Where?, how?" she questioned, clearly overwhelmed.

"The how doesn't matter but it will be at the ministry" he informed her.

"So he's just going to walk into the ministry" Daphne said disbelievingly.

"He will" Harry said confidently. "Anyway that's not the point" he continued. "If he knows we are close then he will come for you if only to get to me" he said sadly. "I want you to wear this" he added handing her a silver anklet with the potter crest engraved into it.

"Why?" Daphne asked still confused.

"I will turn it into an emergency portkey, you'll just have to say a word and it will bring you straight here" he explained. "I'm sure I can work it so no wards will be able to stop it from working" he added.

"You'd do that for me?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course" Harry replied simply and bent over to fasten the chain around her ankle.

He spent a few minutes turning it into a portkey and adding a few extra protection charms to the jewellery before he was satisfied.

"Only you can remove it and it will become disillusioned if any Death Eaters are near you" he explained. "The activation phrase is 'Harry's Sanctuary' and it will bring you straight to the drawing room here" he continued.

"Thank you" Daphne said gratefully.

"No" Harry replied shaking his head. "Thank you for putting up with me and helping me out of the mood I was in, everything just gets a bit much at times you really helped me" he finished sincerely.

"I will help you any way I can" Daphne responded with a gentle smile. "And you better be careful tonight, whatever it is you are doing, I still mean what I said about kicking your arse" she added teasingly.

"I don't doubt you do" Harry answered with a laugh stepping forward and pulling the girl into a hug.

"I really am grateful for today" he said quietly.

"Me too" Daphne responded. "Hopefully we can do it again soon" she added hopefully.

"Definitely" Harry returned simply with a smile.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips which she immediately deepened. She truly did not want the moment to end but knew the portkey was going to activate at any second.

"Please be careful" she pleaded in a whisper as she pulled away.

"I always am" Harry stated with a grin.

"Write to me when you're done, even just to let me know you're ok" she requested with a little desperation in her voice.

"I will" he nodded.

Harry felt more than a little sadness as he watched the girl be whisked away by the portkey. He felt a little empty and wanted nothing more than for her to be there with him still.

'Soon' he mumbled to himself.

For now he had Tom Riddle to prepare for and he needed to focus on that.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne arrived in an unfamiliar room and felt a sense of panic set in when the voice of the headmaster cut in, putting her at ease.

"I trust you had a pleasant visit with Mr Potter?" he asked.

Daphne turned to see the man sat behind a desk smiling. Professor McGonagall was sat with him and there was a phoenix preening itself, seemingly ignoring everyone in the room.

"Yes sir" Daphne replied a little sadly. "Are you going with him?" she asked the old man.

"I am" he said inclining his head towards the worried looking girl, clearly not surprised that she knew of the plan for the evening.

"Please look after him" she pleaded. "I know he can look after himself but it doesn't stop me being scared" she added quietly.

"I will help him any way I can" the headmaster assured the girl. "I think you will find however that it is he who will be keeping us safe" he explained with a smile.

Seeing the look of confusion on the girls face he continued.

"I may be a much more experienced wizard than Mr Potter but it is he that has the advantage in situations like this, you saw for yourself how he handled himself yesterday and I dare say that when people he care about are in the line of fire he will be much more vigilant" he explained knowingly.

Daphne just nodded at the man's logic.

"Thank you sir" she said gratefully. "I should be going" she added seeing that she had disrupted a meeting of some sort between the two professors.

She made her way to the door when she was stopped by the man addressing her once more.

"Miss Greengrass?" he called. "Fear and worry when it comes to those we care about is natural" he continued. "But your faith will make all the difference, if you believe in him then you have no need to worry so much" he finished with a nod.

"I do believe in him sir, with all my heart" she responded firmly and exited the room feeling a little better.

"She truly cares for him" Minerva stated knowingly.

"She does indeed and she worries because she does not see Harry the same way that we all do" he said his eyes twinkling.

"What do you mean?" Minerva questioned with a frown.

"We all see Harry as a hero and an unstoppable force because of what he is capable of" he began. "Miss Greengrass sees far beyond that, she sees him as just another person, extraordinary no doubt, but a person nonetheless" he explained. "Tell me Minerva, what do you think of when you think of young Harry?" he asked the witch.

Minerva pondered her thoughts of the boy and hung her head in shame.

"I used to think of him as a vulnerable little boy" she said sadly. "But recently, I've seen him as a saviour, especially how he handled Umbridge and the aurors and even Nott" she explained. "It seems that am just as guilty as everyone else for seeing the boy as a protector of some sort" she finished shaking her head.

"Indeed" Dumbledore intoned. "It is understandable given the way he carries himself, he is quite unflappable but under that hard exterior is still a sensitive young man who has had more than his fair share of hardship, and that is what Miss Greengrass sees, despite his heroics" he said knowingly.

"Then she is exactly what he needs, to keep himself human" the transfiguration professor exclaimed.

"My thoughts exactly" Dumbledore agreed.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry had spent the remainder of the day preparing for his expected confrontation with the Dark Lord. He was ready. He was quiet and focused as he knew he would need to be when dealing with Tom. What did surprise him was that he wasn't nervous, in fact he was looking forward to facing the man once again knowing that he had the advantage of planning in advance. Harry realised he did not fear Voldemort any longer. He had seen what was waiting for him on the other side and he had no reason to be fearful. If things did go badly he would find the peace he had always wanted. And if things went well then he had taken a major step in finishing Riddle once and for all and he would be that much closer to the peace he craved on this plane of existence.

He entered the drawing room to find Arcturus waiting for him. The man had dressed in battle robes and even at his age still cut quite the terrifying figure.

"Ready" the older man asked simply to which Harry nodded.

"Then let's not waste any more time, we have to meet twinkles and your godfather" he said looking at the clock.

Both men disapparated and found themselves at the gates of Hogwarts where Dumbledore and Sirius were already waiting for them, the latter looking very nervous.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked Harry worriedly.

"It has to be done" Harry replied. "Just have my back when I need it and everything will be fine" he assured the man.

"Always" Sirius responded firmly.

"I made these for us" Dumbledore cut in handing each man a necklace. "It is a portkey that will bring you straight to the hospital wing if you need it" he explained. "Just use the phrase 'Hogwarts help' and it will take you there" he finished.

"Good thinking" Arcturus intoned, offering a rare compliment. "Shall we get on with it?" he asked.

"Let's" Dumbledore replied. "I have Alastor, Kingsley and Nymphadora ready to send out the alerts when the time is right" he informed the trio.

The group disappeared from where they stood and appeared outside the visitors entrance to the ministry. They chose this location so that they would purposely be seen by any of Tom's men keeping watch. Arcturus and Sirius immediately disillusioned themselves and they all entered the telephone box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic" a female voice spoke after Harry had dialled the number. "Please state the purpose of your visit" she instructed.

"Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore meeting Tom Riddle" Harry replied casually.

Harry could hear Sirius snicker a little despite the gravity of the situation and Arcturus cursing under his breath.

"Thank you and please enjoy your visit today" the voice said and the line went dead.

There was a sound of something being dropped into the coin tray and Harry picked up the badges and handed one to Dumbledore.

"A memento" Dumbledore exclaimed with a chuckle before pinning it to his chest proudly.

"Idiots" Arcturus muttered.

The group stepped out of the elevator as it reached the atrium and made their across the empty hall to the desk occupied by a single wizard who immediately stood when he caught sight of Harry and Dumbledore.

"Chief Warlock, Lord Potter" he greeted them with a bow. "What brings you here this evening?" he asked conversationally.

"Lord Potter and myself have a very important meeting with an acquaintance" Dumbledore replied casually. "He is not the most pleasant of men so as chief warlock I am giving you the rest of the night off" he informed the man.

"I don't know sir" the man said nervously. "Madame Bones wouldn't like it" he added.

"I will inform Amelia Marcel, go and spend some time with your wife and your son" he instructed the man with a smile.

"Thank you sir, I will sir" the man responded gratefully. "Lord Potter" he intoned with a bow before exiting.

"He would just be a meaningless obstacle to Tom and an unnecessary casualty" Dumbledore said sadly. "Shall we?" he asked.

The foursome entered the golden-gated lifts and made their way down to the basement level where the department of mysteries was located where they were met by another wizard, this one much older with a very calculating stare.

"Albus" the man greeted with a nod. "I assume you are here for it" he said knowingly.

"Indeed we are" Dumbledore confirmed. "I imagine we will be joined by others shortly" he added warningly.

"I shall make myself scarce then " the other man replied. "I imagine these other two gentlemen are with you" he said nodding to the disillusioned pair.

"As sharp as ever Clarence" Dumbledore praised. "There are people watching beyond the door?" he asked.

"Been there for weeks" the other man replied with a shrug. "They think their cloaks hide them in here" he said half amused. "Don't make a mess in my department and don't ask me for anymore ludicrous favours" he finished warningly before he made his exit.

"The hall of prophecies is just through here" Dumbledore explained to Harry who just nodded and proceeded without hesitation. They passed through the door and entered the hall ready to retrieve the thing Tom Riddle sought so desperately.

They were seen by one of the men keeping watch on the room under the orders of the Dark Lord. He had been here every night for weeks waiting for someone to enter. He was bored and tired as he saw Potter and Dumbledore enter the room but was immediately alert once he was aware of their presence. He watched as they passed through and entered the hall of prophecies. Finally this miserable task would come to an end. He gratefully activated his portkey to inform his master of the development.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort was sat in the drawing room of Malfoy manor lost in his own thoughts. His negotiations with the vampires were slow but he was confident that they would see sense, especially if he visited them personally. He already had a considerable force of foreign wizards, although most were mediocre at best there were some that showed some promise. Greyback was currently on his way back from his recruitment drive amongst the werewolves, something he had always been sure would be a successful effort. And he of course had the giants on side along with the Dementors. His force was growing and become formidable indeed.

He was pulled by his musings as the door burst open revealing a man who was of no consequence. The Dark Lord was annoyed by his interruption and was about to simply curse the man until he prostrated himself before him.

"My Lord" the man spoke quickly. "Potter and Dumbledore are there" he informed him breathlessly.

Lord Voldemort was immediately on full alert and stood suddenly.

"Are they alone?" he asked the man with a hint of urgency.

"Yes my lord" the man confirmed with a bow.

"Fools" the Dark Lord muttered with glee. "Pass me your arm" he instructed.

The man stepped forward and raised the sleeve on his left arm and presented it to his master. Voldemort touched the Dark Mark with the tip of his wand, summoning his most trusted followers, minus Snape, it would not do to reveal the man as yet.

"You shall be rewarded for your service my friend" he promised the man who was grimacing in discomfort. "Now Leave and speak of this to no one" he instructed firmly.

He paced the length of the room and waited for his inner circle to arrive. Lucius was first followed by Bella and within five minutes the room was full of his most loyal followers.

"My friends" he addressed them triumphantly. "The old fool and Potter are retrieving what it is I seek" he informed the gathering. "We shall liberate it from them" he added. "Do not fail me" he finished warningly.

With that the group disappeared to get the prophecy led by the Dark Lord himself. Failure, they knew, was not an option.

 _(BREAK)_

Dumbledore led Harry through the many shelved aisles of the hall of prophecies and paused at the one pertaining to the young man and the Dark Lord.

"This is it" he said gravely. "The reason that Tom came for you all those years ago".

Harry picked up the glass orb filled with white smoke and pocketed it without hesitation. It truly meant nothing to him, in his eyes Tom Riddle had sealed his fate the day he attacked and murdered his parents. Prophecy or no prophecy, it mattered not to the young man.

"I suggest we make our way back to the atrium, Clarence would be most upset with us if his department was harmed in any way" the older man said in amusement.

The duo exited the hall and made their way back through the now very eerily quiet corridors with the other two in tow, still under their disillusionment charm. They made their way to the elevator to make the ascent back to the atrium.

"I suspect we will have company" Dumbledore said gravely with no hint of his usual twinkle.

"I hope so" Harry replied with a smirk of anticipation.

Dumbledore couldn't help but admire the boy and how he seemed to take it all in his stride.

The elevator arrived at the atrium and the doors opened allowing them to exit. Dumbledore and Harry walked into the centre of the room the latter drawing his wand. Harry could already sense the presence of those lying in wait.

"Potter" the dark lord spat menacingly as he emerged from the shadows followed by around 30 of his followers, most of which Harry recognised either from the wizengamot or the media as escaped convicts.

"Hello Tom" Harry greeted the dark lord casually. "It's nice of you to join us" he added sarcastically.

The Dark Lord was taken aback by the casual tone in which the boy addressed him. No one spoke to Lord Voldemort that way, it immediately irritated him.

"What's wrong Tom?" Harry questioned. "You expected me to be trembling with fear?" Harry said with a laugh.

"You have spent the last year licking your wounds and living in fear" Voldemort replied heatedly.

"No" Harry responded with a shake of his head. "I have spent the last year preparing, you have spent the last 14 years hiding like the coward you are" Harry returned causing the Dark Lords followers to hiss in disapproval.

"I am no coward" Voldemort spat. "I fear no man" he added.

"You should fear me Tom" Harry said with every hint of joviality absent from his tone and demeanour. "You have tried and failed to kill me many times now but I will not make the same mistakes" he vowed. "Look me in the eyes Tom" Harry commanded angrily. "See for yourself that I am not afraid of you" he spat his eyes now glowing in his fury.

Voldemort looked the boy in the eyes and saw nothing but anger and the desire for revenge, something he had never experienced before.

"How dare you" Bellatrix screeched in anger. "How dare you speak to the dark lord like that you bastard" she hissed.

"No Bella" Voldemort commanded. "He is right" he added much to the surprise of his followers. "I have failed to kill him but those failings are behind me" he said confidently. "Now give me the prophecy Harry and I will let you and the old man live, you have my word" he tried.

Harry laughed darkly. "Your word means nothing to me Riddle" he spat. "You really want this?" he asked removing the orb from his pocket. "Then take it" he added rolling the ball to the surprised man. "It means nothing to me because I am going to kill you any way" he finished with a venomous tone.

"Harry what have you done?" Dumbledore asked urgently.

Harry just smirked.

"That is very kind of you Harry" Voldemort said sarcastically. "But you should trust the word of no man" he added with a feral grin drawing his wand.

"I never do Tom" Harry replied in amusement.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

The many fires in the atrium burst into life with green flames in which a score of men and women exited led by Amelia Bones, Tonks, Kingsley and Moody.

"Aurors" one of the Death Eaters shouted in panic and began firing spells, followed immediately by his companions.

"You really thought I didn't know you would come here Tom?" Harry asked. "I just wanted everyone to see you were back" he explained pointing to the newest arrivals.

Cornelius Fudge himself was stood watching the confrontation in awe surrounded by men and women some of who were taking photos without abandon.

"Very clever Potter" Voldemort spat. "But it doesn't matter because you won't live past tonight" he added launching his first spell towards the boy.

Harry simply dodged and returned fire. It was time to see what he was truly made of.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius dropped his charm the instant the spell fire began and looked for someone to engage. He was rewarded with the site of Rabastan Lestrange, a man he had always despised since school.

"Lestrange" he shouted to get the man's attention.

"Black" the man spat in reply when he saw who had called him.

"I owe you for what you did to Frank and Alice" Sirius said angrily and immediately began firing his most lethal curses.

Rabastan was taken aback, not expecting to be fighting someone willing to use such spells. He had only been anticipating stunners or spells that would incapacitate him and it took him a moment to adjust.

"What would Dumbledore think of one of his golden boys using dark magic" Rabastan said with a tut.

"I don't fight for Dumbledore" Sirius retorted angrily. "I fight for my godson" he added throwing a dark cutting curse that caught the man on the shoulder.

Rabastan hissed in pain at the burning sensation he was experiencing.

" _Avada Kedavra"_ he roared triumphantly pointing his wand at his opponent.

He was surprised as Black simply conjured a granite slab blocking the spell. He then banished the debris towards Rabastan who was still shocked by the skill the other man was showing. He managed to produce a shield in time to block most of the projectiles but felt a sudden sharp impact strike his knee that caused him to scream in agony. He looked down to see a black arrow protruding from his leg and he knew his fight was over. He reached to remove his emergency portkey he had stashed in his pocket when he felt another impact, this time on his hand. He roared in both pain and anger as he realised his limb had been demolished by a bonebreaker. Before he could comprehend what had happened a similar pain erupted from his other knee and he fell to the ground. He look down to see little more than a bleeding stump remain of his left leg. The shock set in and the man began to shake. He looked up to see the unforgiving face of Sirius Black leering at him.

"Goodbye Lestrange" Sirius said darkly and fired a pure black jet of light towards the man.

Rabastan felt every fibre of his being scream in protest at the onslaught and then he simply knew no more.

Sirius looked distastefully upon the man for a brief second before he turned to aid the aurors.

"One down" he mumbled.

 _(BREAK)_

Arcturus immediately sought out the only person he wished to speak to on this night; his granddaughter. He made his way through the crowd, carefully dodging and shielding as necessary until he came across the woman. He watched as she mercilessly dispensed of two aurors and began scanning the crowd for her next victim. Her eyes fell upon the old man and a look of confusion came over her blood covered face.

"Grandfather?" she asked incredulously.

"Bella" he greeted her simply. "I have come to offer you one chance to drop your wand and get out of here" he informed the woman who immediately scowled at his words.

"Never" she spat in reply. "I fight proudly for the Dark Lord" she added firmly.

"Then Potter will kill you and I won't be able to stop him" Arcturus said a little sadly.

"Little baby Potty wouldn't stand a chance" the deranged woman replied smugly. "It would be my pleasure to end him but I will make sure I get my fun with him first" she said hungrily, licking some blood from her lips. "It would be an honour for the half-blooded bastard to be my play thing for a while" she finished cackling madly.

"Potter will kill you" Arcturus said firmly. "You mock him for his blood yet you follow a man with less magical blood than he has" he explained a little desperately. "Tom Riddle is his name, son a muggle and a witch" he added. "Like it or not Potter shares our blood and he will win" he concluded confidently.

"He will not" Bellatrix screeched ignoring everything that her grandfather had told her. "My lord is powerful and ruthless" she said quietly. "No one could stand against him let alone a filthy half-blood" she announced with no doubt evident.

"Look Bella" Arcturus instructed pointing at Harry and the Dark Lord. "Potter does not fear him and is at least equal in power and skill" he tried.

"Hmm he does cut an impressive figure doesn't he" she mused watching the fight between the two in awe. "I imagine he will make me a fine toy for some time" she said biting her lip. "I may as well have some use of the boy" she finished with a slow nod.

"Bella drop your wand and go" Arcturus instructed her firmly.

"I will not leave" the crazed woman responded angrily. "You can't make me" she said petulantly aiming her wand at the man.

"Do not make me do this Bella" Arcturus pleaded. "You are my blood and that is the most important thing in this world" he tried desperately.

"No, you stopped being my blood when you let my father marry me off to that pig" she spat. "I wanted to choose who I married like Andromeda and Cissy" she said sadly and with the most clarity she had spoken with. "Instead I got stuck with that moron, but I made the best of it and the Dark Lord chose me as his right hand, I will not turn my back on him" she vowed and fired a spell towards her grandfather who simply batted it aside.

"So be it" Arcturus mumbled sadly.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore immediately went on the defence and began shielding and protecting as many of the aurors and his friends as he could. On the outside he appeared calm and collected but on the inside he was experiencing panic and worry he had not felt in a long time. He was just very grateful that Harry was there handling Tom personally, it was not a confrontation he desired personally.

He managed to subdue a few of Tom's men and continued his protective measures as best he could but could not help but take in the utter devastation around him, the true horror of battle, a horror he was not and would never be used to. It saddened him greatly to witness such a waste of life as it was taken with cruel negligence.

He watched as Sirius dispatched of Rabastan Lestrange without hesitation and felt pity for the man for the act he had to carry out. He knew Sirius was just doing his duty as a godfather but wished that it was not necessary. He watched as he simply moved on and began engaging other foes without a seeming second thought for the man he had just killed.

He saw Arcturus confront Bellatrix and watched as they shared a brief confrontation before the witch attacked her own grandfather. He shook his head in sadness at that act in particular. If Dumbledore had learnt one thing in his life it was that family was a very precious gift and should be cherished above all else. Had he had the chance he would have done anything he could for his family to ensure their happiness but alas, his chance was taken from him with the death of them all except for his brother, who could not forgive Albus for his mistakes.

He watched as some of the aurors fell to the attacks from Tom's followers and watched further as they fought back with everything they had. After what seemed an eternity Tom's people had either been captured, killed or cut their losses and escaped. He turned to watch the only remaining confrontation taking place, the one between Harry and the Dark Lord. Everyone remaining simply stared in awe at the battle between the two, none daring to intervene. It was far too dangerous to even comprehend and each were satisfied to watch the spectacle take place.

 _(BREAK)_

The Dark Lord was fighting furiously, none had ever tested him as Potter was. Lord Voldemort was admittedly impressed by the boys skill, speed and power but it was the magic the boy wielded that had him concerned, there was a worrying familiarity about it. Several times he had had to reinforce his shields or simply abandon it altogether and dodge when he met a spell he was unfamiliar with, it frustrated the man to no end. There was no doubt that the magic was designed to kill and the ruthlessness of the boy was admirable, he was more than a worthy opponent.

Despite the type of magic both were using neither had managed to land a hit on the other much to the Dark Lords chagrin. He needed to get creative and he had just the thing he needed.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry had never fought someone with such spell knowledge or power. It took him a few moments to adjust accordingly to the new level of strength he was experiencing but he took it in his stride nonetheless. He fought with reckless abandon but did not dip into his entire repertoire knowing that this would not be the final confrontation, he needed to keep some stuff hidden for when it was necessary.

He knew he had youth and speed on his side but Tom more than made up for that with his knowledge, he knew their power was of a similar level. He knew he needed to make Tom flee and he came up with an idea to make that happen, he had achieved what he wanted here after all.

He dropped the shield he had conjured to block one of his foes spells and began hissing in parseltongue causing the dark lord to take pause and look confused, just what he wanted.

He unleashed his spell with all the power and fury he could muster and watched Tom's eyes widen in surprise as the green light hurtled towards him.

The Dark Lord attempted to side step the spell knowing it was near impossible to shield against, especially with such a short distance between the two.

He did not move enough however and he hissed in pain as the spell caught the outside of his left arm. The power of the spell sent him back several feet through the air and he hit the floor with a loud crack. The spell left a deep cut that leaked an acrid green fluid that caused the flesh around the wound to smoke distastefully.

He heard the gasps of surprise from all those that remained and realised he had been left alone, it was now or never, he could deal with the spell damage soon enough. He prepared himself and disappeared in a thick black smoke.

"Nobody move" Harry commanded firmly knowing the Dark Lord was still here.

He felt a sudden sharp pain in his head and felt the presence of the Dark Lord in his mind.

"You can't beat me Harry" Voldemort spoke in his mind. "I know branches of magic that you can only dream of" he added increasing the pressure on the boys mind.

Harry had read a little on possession in one of the books he had taken from Arcturus and immediately knew what was happening. He tried to think of what it was he should do to counter the attack which was made much harder as the Dark Lord invaded his mind further.

"Big mistake Tom" Harry said coldly in realisation.

He forced every ounce of magic into his mind as he thought of his family, of Sirius and Dumbledore. He didn't think of Daphne knowing that Tom would be aware of her as he would see his thoughts. He focused with all of his might on the love he felt for them and was rewarded with a scream of pain as Voldemort was thrown from his mind and the man appeared in a heap on the floor in front of him.

Lord Voldemort knew that it was time to make his exit, he had gotten what he came for after all. He snarled in anger before disappearing once again in a thick cloud of smoke.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked in concern rushing forward.

"I'm fine" Harry assured the man.

"Damn, I didn't know you were capable of that" his godfather replied in awe.

"I caught him by surprise" Harry explained firmly. "It won't happen again like that" he added knowingly.

"Why didn't you kill him?" one of the aurors asked in shock.

"There are things that you don't understand" Harry said to the man. "It is not as simple as that" he finished shaking his head.

"It's probably because he can't" another one spat in response.

Harry was immediately angry and he marched towards the man.

"I didn't see you trying to fight him" Harry said dangerously. "Because he would wipe the floor with you, so shut up you moron unless you want me to leave him to you?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"No" the man replied frantically shaking his head. "I'm sorry Lord Potter" he said weakly clearly intimidated by the teen.

Harry spotted the Minister who was conversing with Dumbledore, sweating profusely and looking very nervous as indicated by the constant twirling of his patented bowler hat. Harry approached the man and cut him off before he could greet him.

"I trust you have all the evidence now that he is back?" he asked the shaking man.

"Yes" Fudge sputtered. "What the hell were you all doing here" he asked with a frown looking at Sirius and Arcturus as they joined the group.

"Your job" Harry responded. "Now it seems that you have work to do minister, as do I" Harry added dismissively.

"But you need to tell us what happened" Fudge tried weakly.

"Ask your aurors, they were here as were you, all that matters is that you know he is back" Harry pointed out. "It's time to prepare Minister, no more excuses" he said firmly removing his portkey.

"Hogwarts?" he asked Dumbledore and the two Blacks who all nodded their agreement.

"Hogwarts Help" they all intoned and disappeared from the Ministry of Magic.

The group landed in the hospital wing and were immediately set upon by Madame Pomfrey.

"What is going on here?" she asked the group with her hands firmly on her hips. "Potter?" she said in realisation. "I should have known" she added with a tut.

She then began waving her wand and muttering at the protesting teen.

"She's keen" Arcturus stated a little amused and coughed a little. "I'm too old for this" he mumbled.

"Poppy is rather passionate" Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling once again. "You won't escape her care" he informed the man warningly.

"I think you'll find I will" Arcturus said triumphantly and removed another portkey and disappeared before the crazed nurse could turn her attention to him.

"You are fine Potter" Madame Pomfrey declared in confusion.

"I told you I was" Harry mumbled irritably.

"Where did the other one go?" She asked Dumbledore noticing Arcturus was missing.

"It seems that Baron Black has made other arrangements in regards to his healthcare" Dumbledore explained with a chuckle.

"Coward" Harry muttered.

Madame Pomfrey huffed in indignation.

"And what about you headmaster, you haven't foolishly injured yourself have you?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm fine" Dumbledore assured the over-zealous matron. "Sirius?" he asked the man who just shook his head indicating that he was unharmed.

"Then please keep the noise down, I have another patient" Pomfrey explained irritably pointing to the only occupied bed.

Harry looked over and immediately recognised the occupant who was watching the group clearly surprised by their late night appearance.

"Hello Natalie" Harry greeted the girl with a smile. "And what are you doing here?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"I broke my arm in my flying lesson" the girl explained shyly. "I'm not very good" she said sadly.

"Well it just so happens that I am very good at flying" Harry replied. "How about I will see if we can get you permission over the summer and I can teach you" he offered looking at Dumbledore for confirmation.

"I think that is a wonderful idea, I'm sure it will not be a problem" Dumbledore exclaimed happily, his eyes twinkling merrily. It surprised the man to no end that Harry could be in battle less than a half hour ago and now he was sat with a child as though he had not a worry in the world.

"You would teach me?" the girl asked in surprise to which Harry just nodded and smiled. "Thank you" she said gratefully.

The conversation was interrupted by a cough coming from Sirius clearly wanting to be introduced to the girl.

"Natalie, this is my godfather Sirius Black" Harry explained, gesturing to the man. "Sirius, this is Natalie McDonald, first year Gryffindor" he added for the benefit of the man.

"My lady" Sirius said with a bow and kissed the back of her hand causing her to giggle and then frown.

"You smell like a dog we found once" she exclaimed causing Harry and Dumbledore to laugh.

"Well that would be because I can become one" Sirius explained, ignoring the laughing pair.

He then transformed into the shaggy black dog and began jumping around playfully causing the girl to giggle again.

"I'm going to call you princess" the girl declared causing Sirius to whimper in indignation.

Harry discreetly conjured a pink bow around the dogs neck and tail causing the girl to laugh uncontrollably. Seeing the bow on his tail Sirius growled and began chasing it irritably attempting to remove the offending garment.

"Headmaster this is a hospital wing" Pomfrey cut in clearly irritated by the antics. "This is no place for animals" she added pointing at the dog. "Miss McDonald needs her rest also so I must insist you leave".

"But I was talking to Harry" the girl said sadly.

"How about I come and get you in the morning and I will escort you to the Great Hall for breakfast" Harry offered the girl who immediately cheered up.

"Really?" she asked disbelievingly. "Yes please" she said excitedly.

Harry looked towards Madame Pomfrey to ensure that it would be ok.

"Fine" she agreed. "But for now, get out" she ordered the trio.

"Come on Princess" Harry said beckoning to his godfather who just growled in response but followed his godson and the headmaster from the room.

"Bye Harry" Natalie called. "I will see you in the morning".

"What is her story?" Harry asked the headmaster as they made their way down the corridor. "I know she lives in an orphanage" he explained eliciting a sorrowful whimper from his godfather.

"Her parents were killed in a car accident when she was only a year old" Dumbledore explained sadly. "She had no other family and has been in the orphanage since" he added. "She was one of the reasons I was hoping you would return to school this year as a prefect" the old man revealed. "She needs someone who understands her plight as she has issues with her confidence, I thought she would be able to relate to you" he finished.

Harry pondered what the headmaster had told him about the girl. He remembered clearly how awful he felt growing up thinking that his parents had died in a car crash and his heart truly went out to the girl.

"Who pays for her education?" he asked sadly.

"The school has a fund for those in need" Dumbledore explained. "It is very basic however and really not sufficient" he added disappointedly. "There are many who have need of the fund and it is stretched to its limits every year" he finished shaking his head.

"I'll pay for her education" Harry declared. "And anything else she needs" he added. "I want her to have the best of everything Professor and I want to make a donation to the school fund" he finished. "How much would help?" he asked the man who smiled gratefully.

"Tuition fees are 2000 Galleons a year and brand new supplies cost in the region of 500 Galleons per student" he explained. "It is rather a lot of gold" he finished.

"Then I will give you 250,000 Galleons to start with and add any extra you will need" Harry informed the man.

"And I will match it" Sirius declared transforming back. "I have access to the family vaults it might as well be put to good use" he explained with a shrug.

Dumbledore smiled at the two.

"You are very good men" he said sincerely, his eyes welling with tears. "We need more men like you in our world".

"I remember what it is like to have nothing sir" Harry intoned sadly. "I'll help any way I can".

The three continued walking through the castle in silence each lost in their thoughts.

Sirius thought of the girl and how awful it must be to be in that position. He hated his family but he at least had had one growing up.

Harry was having similar thoughts and vowed to help her any way he could. He was much too young to do as much as he would like and had other responsibilities that he needed to focus on. But he would help her as much as he could. He had to admit that he had gotten a soft spot for the young girl who he had shared a few moments with now.

Albus Dumbledore was just grateful for his two companions and knew they would be able to make a real difference with their generosity. He just hoped they would both survive so the whole wizarding community could benefit from what they could offer. There was one thing that bothered the man however.

"Harry?" he questioned the teen snapping him out of his own thoughts. "Why would you give Tom the prophecy?" he asked as they reached the front gates.

"What makes you think I did?" Harry asked in reply with a smirk before disapparating away.

Dumbledore looked towards Sirius with a confused expression and saw his own feelings reflected on the man's face.

"Don't ask me" Sirius said holding his hands up to demonstrate his innocence. "I had no part in that" he explained.

Sirius disapparated soon after leaving a thoughtful headmaster in his wake.

Dumbledore just shook his head. "All will be revealed soon I imagine" he said shaking his head once more.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort arrived back in the drawing room of Malfoy manor. He quickly healed the spell damage caused by Potter, it would cause him some discomfort for a while there was no doubt. The boy had surprised him with his knowledge of that spell. At first he didn't believe what he was hearing until it was too late. He quickly summoned a pain relief potion to ease the throbbing in his head and downed it in one. He took a moment to allow the potion to take effect before he looked around the room at his expectant followers and saw a significant number was missing. Eleven empty spaces he counted much to his annoyance.

Bella was there as was Lucius, Rudolphus, Rookwood and Rowle. Rabastan, Avery and Mulciber were the most noticeable absences. But all of the missing were a great loss to the Dark Lord, they were among his most capable and loyal followers. He shook his head.

He had gotten what he wanted so that took the sting away from his losses somewhat.

"Leave" he commanded those in the room irritably. He wanted to be alone.

The room emptied quickly and the Dark Lord removed the orb from his pocket and tapped it with his wand and waited expectantly. A voice sounded and immediately made him furious.

"You really thought I would just hand you what you wanted Tom?" the voice of Harry Potter sounded around the room laughing darkly after his statement. "Fuck you Tom, I look forward to the next time because it will be your last, remember I know your secrets, all seven of them" the voice finished knowingly.

The orb grew hot and exploded launching the Dark Lord across the room causing him to crash into the wall with a loud grunt.

As Lord Voldemort laid on the floor in a heap he realised something; he had been outwitted by Harry Potter. He was overcome with a sense of fear, it was Potter, the boy knew about his Horcruxes. He would have to be careful from now on and protect Nagini with his life. For the first time in his many years Tom Riddle was truly scared, a feeling that did not sit well with him.

He screamed in rage as he got to his feet and blew a hole in the wall in his fury. He needed to come up with a plan. He needed some time. He had lost his men for nothing and exposed himself to the world.

The Dark Lord needed to bolster his numbers and take stock of his situation. He needed to be much more careful and not underestimate Harry Potter in future.

"You win this one Potter" he spat in anger.

 **A/N**

 **Another one down. I purposely did not have a detailed duel between Harry and Voldemort as it would just ruin the final confrontation between the two but it will be worth the wait I promise. Remember Harry managed to take him by surprise this does not mean that he will trounce him in any way. I am astounded at the increase in followers and favourites the story has received in the last week and I am very grateful to you all. It has gotten to a point where I can't respond individually to reviews but if anything comes up that I want to address I will do so here. In the last chapter I forgot to put some of my recommended fics in the notes so I will do so here. Thank you all and follow, favourite and review as you always do, it really means a lot to me.**

 **TBS**

 _The Hero and the Veela by Jackpotr_. (He followed, favourited and reviewed this and it is a story I enjoyed long before I considered even writing my own fic so check it out, it is a very good story)

Pretty much anything by _James Spookie._ I am sure most of you are familiar with his work but I thought I would add it here anyway. He is a very original writer and very creative.

 _Gods Amongst Men by Slimah._ A Harry/Fleur pairing that is very original and very well written.

 _Harry Potter and the Turning of the Sun by Lord Umbrex._ A Harry goes back in time fic that is very original and very gripping. Harry/Bella pairing that actually works quite well.


	14. Bittersweet

Chapter 14:

Ever since the death of his mother, sister and the Lovegood girl, Bill Weasley had been in a near catatonic state. He barely ate, barely slept and barely showered; he simply sat still, lost in his own thoughts. He pondered his workmanship on the wards surrounding his family home to the point of questioning his own expertise. He wrote down every ward he had placed from beginning to end, the order in which he had weaved them and every other detail he could think of and could come up with no reason why they would fail how they did.

Regardless of who by or how many times he was told that he was not to blame, that was the only conclusion he could fathom. He must have made a mistake somewhere; he must have done something to cause them to attack the people within them. He was not aware of any spell no implement that could have such consequences on wards and if Bill Weasley knew one thing, it was wards.

He was excellent with them, far beyond the ability of most wizards and even most goblins, yet he had clearly made an error within his scheme.

He was sat in his family home clutching a letter he had just received from his younger twin brothers, a possible saving grace if you will. He shook uncontrollably from the emotion he was feeling and for his own sake and sanity he hoped and prayed that what they had written was true.

His shaking turned into sobbing, but even he could not give a reason as to why he cried the way he was. Relief? Perhaps. But in all likelihood it was the vast range of emotions he was experiencing at one time that caused this effect. He simply fell to the floor, crying and laughing simultaneously until he vomited. He would not take the word of this letter as gospel but it had ignited a spark of hope within the man. He needed to confirm it; he needed to know the truth.

"Harry" he whispered hoarsely shaking his head.

He had to speak to the young man, but he first needed to pull himself together. He needed a few decent meals and some rest; he needed to be alert and coherent if he was to believe. He even knew himself that in his state he would listen to no man, even one as honest as Harry Potter.

Bill's last thoughts were with his mother and sister before he simply lost consciousness; his body and mind could not cope with the neglect anymore. He needed sleep and that letter had given him respite enough to allow it to come.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry Potter awoke feeling more carefree than he had in a very long time. He had managed to expose Tom and even made a fool of him with the fake prophecy he had given. He wished more than anything that he could have seen him listening to it and the aftermath of the spell he had placed on the orb. He chuckled despite himself at how angry he knew the man would be.

Harry however, was not naïve. He knew he had been quite fortunate in the encounter and had surprised Riddle; he knew it would not happen that way again. Tom would no longer underestimate him and would learn from his mistake, maybe. He had never shown any signs that he had learnt from his previous ones. He continued to goad the teen and underestimate him time and time again, maybe he was just that foolish.

He was proud of how well he fought the man. The power and the speed had taken him by surprise but he did manage to adjust and knew that he fought better than anyone else could have. It gave him the first glance of real hope that he could in fact win, but that did not mean who slack or become negligent in his training. He knew they were well matched and he had to keep improving and keep working on every aspect of his ability to get better. He had already vowed many times that that is what he would do, but he reaffirmed it once more.

He pulled himself from his bed to prepare for the day; he had after all promised a young girl that he would take her to breakfast. He also remembered his promise of a donation to Dumbledore and he drew up the bank draft to give to the headmaster when he saw him.

He showered; dressed and made sure he had everything he needed. He decided that he would use the portkey that he still had from the previous night to take him directly to the hospital wing. He could also return that to Dumbledore this morning.

"Hogwarts Help" he mumbled, gripping the necklace and disappeared with the familiar jerking sensation around his stomach.

He appeared in the hospital wing, immediately faced by a very stern looking and disapproving Madam Pomfrey, who frowned at his sudden arrival.

"I do not appreciate intrusions like this Mr Potter" the witch informed him with her hands on her hips. "This is a hospital, not an arrival point" she added.

"But if I couldn't get here this quick, how would I receive the medical attention of your delicate and caring hands, I have been your most frequent patient of the last few years haven't I?" he questioned.

The matron frowned at him further but he could see a slight tug at the corner of her lips which turned into a reluctant smile from the no-nonsense woman.

"Away with you" she commanded shooing him towards the bed of the first year who was giggling at the conversation between the two.

"Hello Natalie" Harry said greeting the girl. "And how are you this morning?" he asked.

"Hello Harry" the girl returned brightly. "I'm all better now, how are you?" she added.

"Well" Harry began scratching his chin. "I am quite tired, I was up all night counting down the minutes until I could come back and take you for breakfast" he explained seriously.

The young girl just giggled at the boy.

"Don't lie to me Harry Potter" she replied. "You have crusty bits in your eyes" she said pointing at his face.

Harry immediately rubbed his eyes and found nothing. He looked at the girl and frowned.

"You tricked me" he stated. "It looks like I will have to keep an eye on you". "Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Yep" the girl responded simply and stood holding out her hand. "You have to escort me properly" she insisted.

"Of course my lady" Harry answered with a bow and took her hand as requested.

The two made their way through the castle towards the Great Hall meeting no student on the way, clearly everyone was already at breakfast. They could hear the chatter as they approached and as they entered all talking ceased immediately. Harry found himself faced with hundreds of faces showing looks of sock and awe.

"I didn't know you had that effect on people" he whispered to his young companion.

"They're looking at you" the girl replied shyly.

Before he could respond he was cut off by a very angry voice.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER" a familiar female screamed at him.

He turned and saw a very angry blonde marching towards him from the Slytherin table.

"Uh oh" he said in realisation.

"Are you in trouble Harry?" Natalie asked him worriedly.

"You know I think I might be" he mused aloud. "Hello Daphne" he said greeting the girl.

"Don't you hello Daphne me you prat" the girl retorted heatedly. "What is this?" she hissed at him waving a copy of the Daily Prophet under his nose.

"A newspaper" Harry replied dumbly.

"I know it is a newspaper you idiot" the girl responded angrily and hit him with the object. "I meant this" she added unfolding the paper so he could read the headline.

 **Potter Vs You-Know-Who In Ministry Showdown!**

 **(He's Back!)**

Underneath the headline was a picture of the two duelling. Harry could see himself launching Riddle across the room with his spell and he had to admit, it did look quite impressive.

"Ah" he uttered, not sure what else to say.

"Ah?" Daphne questioned. "Is that all you have to say?" she asked further and began hitting him with the paper again. "Of all the reckless and irresponsible things you could do" she growled, continuing her onslaught.

"But I told you" Harry tried weakly attempting to defend himself from the furious girl.

Everyone in the room was in shock at the girl's reaction. The boy had just duelled the Dark Lord and won yet she was completely undeterred by this.

Harry fought he was about to be saved as he saw Dumbledore rise to his feet to seemingly intervene. The headmaster however was stopped in his tracks by a firm hand on his forearm and a glare from his deputy. It seemed Harry was not the only one facing the ire of an angry woman this morning.

"You did" Daphne agreed. "But I did not expect a full bloody battle in the Ministry, what the hell were you thinking Potter?" she asked angrily.

"Erm" Harry said trying to formulate a good answer.

"You weren't thinking were you?" she questioned the dumbstruck boy. "You could have been killed" she shouted.

"I'm Sorry" he tried.

He was more frightened now of the angry blonde than he had been Tom last night. That thought reminded him of his grandfather and what he said the day he fought Gaulitier about being more afraid of his grandmother. Harry had to fight the grin that threatened to break across his face with everything he had. He knew it would only make her angrier.

"Oh you will be sorry" Daphne promised. "If you ever do anything as stupid and reckless as that again, the Dark Lord will be the least of your problems, get it?" she asked poking him firmly in the chest.

Harry himself was in shock by her reaction and had not expected to be chided how he had been. He must have really upset her to cause this and he did feel a little guilty, even though he knew he had done the right thing.

"Got it" he replied in a subdued voice. "Can I get some breakfast now?" he asked. "I did promise Natalie I'd have it with her" he finished.

Daphne looked at him critically for a moment before responding.

"You clearly can't be trusted to supervise a young girl alone" Daphne stated simply. "Not until you are responsible enough to not be such a prat" she declared. "Come on Natalie" she said to the girl offering her hand who took it and shot a sorrowful look towards the older boy. The two began walking off when Daphne turned to Harry once more.

"You can join us" she told him. "Merlin knows you can't be trusted by yourself".

Harry followed the two girls to the Slytherin table and was surprised that no one protested at his presence. He guessed that it had a lot to do with the article and that none would want to challenge him. He looked towards the Gryffindor table to see a pair of redheaded twins looking towards him and laughing. Harry grinned as he saw them both be swatted by Alicia and Angelina respectively for their insensitivity.

He turned back towards his present company and came across the very amused faces of Tracey and Astoria.

"Hello Tracey" he greeted.

"Potter" she said with a nod, still grinning.

"Good Morning Astoria" he added to the other girl.

"Hello Harry" she replied, her eyes full of mirth.

"Is she always like this?" he questioned the pair with a whisper.

"Never" Astoria answered shaking her head. "It seems that that is reserved for you and Dad once when he forgot his and mum's anniversary" she informed him.

"What happened?" Harry asked curiously.

"She turned his hair pink every day for two weeks" Astoria answered casually.

"I can hear you" Daphne cut in. "And Harry will get worse than pink hair for a couple of weeks if he does something like that again" she told them.

Harry grimaced at the thought. He did not like an angry Daphne Greengrass, even though she did look very beautiful in a rage he mused to himself. The glint in her blue eyes definitely had his attention; he would have to remember that as a warning sign. Although he was around six inches taller than her and had at least five stone in weight advantage, her anger was not something he wanted to provoke again.

Daphne saw him staring at her and just frowned at the boy. She was angrier that he had gotten that kind of response from her than what he had actually done. She knew things like this were going to happen, that she had no control over but it had truly worried her that it had happened the way it had. The boy could have been hurt or killed and he didn't seem all that concerned by it. He needed to understand that his actions affect other people, especially those that care for him.

Harry saw Dumbledore leaving the hall and remembered that he needed to talk to the man so made his way over, watched by every student in the hall.

"Professor" he called to the old man.

"Ahh Harry, it is nice that you could join us for breakfast" Dumbledore greeted him with a smile.

"I just wanted to return this" Harry said quietly handing him the portkey he had been given the night before.

"Hold on to it Harry" Dumbledore replied pushing the necklace back towards the boy. "You never know when it may come in handy" he added knowingly.

"Thank you sir" Harry said gratefully. "Oh and there was this also" he added handing him the bank draft he had drawn up.

"This is most generous of you and many in this room will benefit from it" the headmaster explained appreciatively.

He opened the parchment and was taken aback by what he read.

"This is double what you initially offered" he stated confusedly.

"I have more money than I will ever spend" Harry shrugged, "and the way things are I might never get a chance to spend any of it" he continued a little sadly. "In the event things go badly I have made arrangements for the school to receive annual donations from my wealth so that it will always have funds available and you have more money on its way from the sale of some artefacts found in a very hidden place in the school" he informed the man.

Dumbledore was overcome with emotion by the generosity and decency of the young man in front of him. Despite how terrible his life had been he had become one of the best men he had ever known.

"Hidden room you say" Dumbledore mused scratching his chin.

"I think you came across it filled with chamber pots at one time" Harry said with a grin.

"Ahh, that hidden room" the headmaster acknowledged with a nod.

Harry returned the nod.

"And remember what I said about Natalie sir" he added.

Dumbledore smiled and placed his hands on the young man's shoulders.

"The world rarely sees men such as you Harry" he said sincerely. "I can't speak for anyone else but I couldn't be any prouder of you and I am sure your parents would feel the same" he finished giving the teen's shoulder a squeeze.

"I do try sir" Harry responded.

He leaned in so he could talk a little quieter.

"Do you have any idea on how to deal with an angry woman?" he asked half-jokingly.

Dumbledore chuckled in amusement.

"I always find that if you are quiet and simply nod at the right moment, the storm usually passes much quicker" he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Is that so?" the irritated voice of Professor McGonagall cut in causing Dumbledore to physically cringe.

"I was just offering Harry some of my years of wisdom" he replied innocently to the irritated Deputy Headmistress.

"Hmm" the woman intoned disapprovingly. "It doesn't seem that your wisdom stretches far enough to look over your shoulder before offering advice on the opposite sex" she said casually.

Dumbledore cringed again at the tone.

"Come along Albus" McGonagall instructed taking the man by the arm. "We still have a conversation to have about your reckless adventure with Mr Potter and co" she informed him as she started leading him away. "And you can explain to the phoenix why he was left here while you risked your life you foolish man" she finished sternly.

"Come now Minerva, be reasonable" Dumbledore pleaded. "You know he is difficult at the best of times" he pointed out.

"You should have thought of that before you went gallivanting" she responded in a no-nonsense tone.

"And people ask why I never married" the headmaster mumbled petulantly. "Yet I may as well be" he added with a chuckle.

"Excuse me?" McGonagall questioned as they left the hall and disappeared from sight.

Harry stifled his laughter at the headmaster's plight and returned to his seat to continue his breakfast.

"Don't think your off the hook yet Potter" Daphne said as he sat down not even looking at him as she spoke. "We will be having a conversation too" she added with a glare.

Harry swallowed hard and nodded. He wasn't sure if he was envious of Dumbledore in this moment having to deal with McGonagall and a phoenix instead of the angry blonde he was currently sat with.

 _(BREAK)_

Marlene McKinnon was making breakfast after a long and nervous night. She had been worried about Sirius from the moment he left until he returned and told her that the plan had gone off without a hitch. She was relieved beyond words and was just grateful that the loveable rogue had come back to her.

She sat down and began eating her toast when a tap on the window indicated the arrival of the newspaper. She retrieved it and sat back down to finish her meal when she caught site of the headline and the subsequent image on the cover. Upon reading it her eyes turned a dangerous shade of amber and she growled throatily in anger. She shot to her feet and stalked towards the staircase; her fiancé had a few questions to answer and they had better be good answers.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK" she screamed from the foot of the stairs and began stomping up them.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius was woken by a tone of voice he had not heard in many years and he knew he was in trouble for something. An angry Marlene was never a good thing for him and he immediately looked for a suitable hiding place to wait her anger out.

He panicked as he heard the furious footsteps getting closer and realised he was cornered; there was nowhere for him to go. In a moment of childish foolery he simply pulled the duvet over his head and feigned sleep, hoping that she wouldn't want to wake a sleeping man. When he would reflect on this moment later he would realise how naïve he had been. He couldn't control the nervous shudder that had taken over his body and completely stiffened from fear as the door of the bedroom burst open. All he could hear for a few seconds was the heavy and laboured breathing of the woman he loved before he was unceremoniously struck by a powerful stinging hex on his behind. He let out a very dog-like yelp as he jumped in the air and landed back on the bed with a thump. In front of him stood a very angry woman with bright orange angry eyes that made him cringe involuntarily.

"Without a hitch?" she questioned him rhetorically. "What the hell is this?" she asked throwing the paper at the man who picked it up and read the front page.

"Well it worked" he stated flatly.

"I don't give a shit if it worked" the woman hissed at him. "You said you were going to bring him out in the open, not start a bloody battle you idiot" she shouted firing another hex at the man who dived to the floor and attempted to crawl under the bed.

"Oh no you don't" Marlene shouted and got him with another stinging hex.

"Will you stop doing that?" Sirius shouted extracting the top half of himself he had managed to get under the bed back out. "I have sensitive skin, it will welt for days" he whined.

"I'll give you sensitive skin" Marlene said threateningly. "Well?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Well what?" Sirius asked dumbly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I didn't know it would go like that" Sirius pointed out.

"But you had an idea" Marlene stated simply.

"Well when he turned up it all just kicked off" Sirius explained with a shrug. "We are all fine, none of us got hurt and as you can see Harry kicked his arse and I got one of the LeStranges" he finished.

"It doesn't change the fact that you are all idiots" Marlene replied. "You had better tell me when things like this happen or you are going into something dangerous" she said firmly.

"I will from now on" Sirius promised. "I'm sorry, do you forgive me?" he asked hopefully.

"Not yet" Marlene responded. "You had better start working on a damn good apology Sirius Black or you will be sleeping in a kennel for the rest of your life" she informed him seriously.

Marlene left the room leaving a very cowed Sirius Black in her wake.

Sirius just shook his head and rubbed his throbbing bottom.

"That really is going to bruise quite badly" he mumbled with a pout.

 _(BREAK)_

Jonathan Greengrass woke in his usual fashion. He showered, dressed and got ready to open the shop.

He made his way to the kitchen for breakfast and to spend some time with his wife before they both left to get on with their respective days.

"Hello dear" he said hugging her from behind and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning" Ophelia replied tiredly. "Busy day?" she asked taking her seat at the table.

"Not so much" Jonathan said with a shake of his head while pouring his coffee. "Just some auditing and making a list of some ingredients I need to get on my next trip out" he explained.

He took a sip of his coffee as he unrolled the morning newspaper and immediately sprayed the coffee from his mouth all over his unsuspecting wife, covering her in the brown liquid and some spittle.

"You better have a damn good reason for spitting at me Jonathan Greengrass" Ophelia said dangerously wiping her face with a napkin, her bright blue eyes glinting dangerously.

Jonathan just gaped momentarily at the paper before snapping out of his stupor and pushing it towards his furious wife.

"Oh dear" she said simply after reading the article. "It is rather an impressive photo" she added waving her wand over herself to clean the mess. "I don't think Daphne will be impressed though" she said knowingly.

"She is going to kill him" Jonathan said a little gleefully. "He has no idea what he has done".

"Jonathan Greengrass" Ophelia intoned warningly.

"Well the boy is hardly going to be intimidated by me" Jonathan whined pointing at the photo. "I have to be content knowing that Daphne takes after you" he explained.

"Meaning?" Ophelia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That you are willing to put me back on track when I stray on to a foolish path" he answered diplomatically.

"Jonathan, we have been married for over 15 years, don't try and butter me up" Ophelia stated. "What did you really mean?" she asked.

Jonathan took a deep breath. This type of honesty would either go very well or very badly. He knew he had no choice. He had to explain himself or his wife would just assume the worst and he didn't even see this as a bad thing. It was actually one of the things he loved about the woman.

"Well" he began carefully. "Mostly you are quiet and the most loving and caring person I know" he continued. "But when you lose your temper you're like some kind of terrifying beast" he added reluctantly. "And Daphne is just like you" he finished.

"See that wasn't so hard was it?" Ophelia asked sweetly after a moment's silence.

Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't getting a tongue lashing.

Ophelia stood and placed a kiss on her husband's cheek.

"But if you dare say that again you will spend many nights on the sofa" she informed him casually and left the room.

Jonathan cringed at that. The few times over the years he had been banished to the sofa had not been pleasant; he was convinced that his wife cursed it to make it purposely uncomfortable.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into Harry" he mumbled shaking his head.

"I heard that" he heard his wife shout from the next room.

Jonathan cringed again and stayed silent; he knew he was already pushing his luck. A stop for flowers and chocolate on the way home was in order to placate the woman. He just needed to work out how much he would need to appease her.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry managed to finish his breakfast without further provoking the ire of the still annoyed teen sat next to him, something he was thankful for. He could see that both Tracey and Astoria were simply waiting to see what would happen next between the two and were unusually quiet but had clear looks of amusement and anticipation.

"Would you like to come for a walk around the lake?" he asked Natalie, who had been rather subdued and silent throughout the meal. "You can come too if you don't trust me not to influence her with my recklessness" he added to Daphna who had looked at him with a raised eyebrow questioningly.

"You can count on it Potter" Daphne replied, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Ok" Natalie answered simply looking between the two with concern.

"And what about us?" Astoria cut in.

"No" Daphne said vehemently as she stood and helped the younger girl to her feet.

Astoria huffed and folded her arms indignantly.

The trio exited the castle into the sunny grounds and walked towards the lake in silence with Daphne holding their younger companions hand. After around 10 minutes of walking they reached the opposite bank of the lake and Harry paused, looking to the other side lost in thought. He knew that the conversation with the young girl was sensitive and he did not want to upset her by bringing up bad memories or inadvertently insulting her. He sat on one of the rocks on the shore line and gestured for her to join him. Natalie approached looking both confused and a little nervous.

"Can you promise that you won't be upset with me until you've heard what I have to say?" Harry asked the girl who nodded with a frown.

Daphne's expression mirrored that of the younger girl, but she let him proceed.

"Do you remember telling me that you were an orphan?" he questioned her quietly.

Natalie nodded. "Yes" she answered shyly.

This was news to Daphne who had no idea. She felt saddened for the young girl and put a supporting arm around her shoulder.

"Well I asked Professor Dumbledore about you" Harry informed her.

"Why?" Natalie asked in confusion.

"I wanted to know more about you" Harry stated simply. "Did you know that I am an orphan too?" he questioned.

Natalie just shook her head in reply.

"Well until I was 11 years old I thought my parents were killed in a car crash; that was what I was told" he explained to the girl.

A look of recognition overcame the girl and her lip started to tremble.

"I didn't know the truth until I found out I was a wizard" he continued. "My parents were murdered by that man you saw me fighting in the paper" he added in explanation.

"Why are you telling me this?" Natalie asked quietly.

Harry breathed deeply before replying.

"Because I want you to know that I understand what you are going through" he said. "And I want to help you, that's why I am going to be paying for your education and anything else you need, I want to look after you in any way I can" he explained further. "I can't take you away from the orphanage permanently but I can make everything else easier" he finished sincerely.

"Why would you do that?" she asked sceptically. "What's in it for you? People don't do things like that for nothing" she added with a frown.

"The only thing in it for me is knowing that you are happy" Harry said simply. "And because I remember how it feels" he continued. "I spent my whole life wishing that someone would care for me, would rescue me from the hell I grew up in" he added sadly. "Do you know about my life?" he asked her.

Natalie shook her head.

"After my parents were killed I was sent to live with my aunt, uncle and cousin and they hate magic" he began bitterly. "They hated my parents and they hated me, they treated me worse than a house-elf. Every day I was made to do chores; cook, clean, garden and anything else you can think of. They barely fed me enough to live on and I never had anything of my own" he continued. "They beat me and they always told me I was nothing but a worthless freak, I spent the first ten years there living in a cupboard under the stairs even though they had enough bedrooms" he finished, breathing deeply again.

Both Natalie and Daphne looked horrified at his explanation of his life.

"I never had anyone who cared about me" he continued. "That was what I wanted more than anything" he said with a shake of his head. "Just someone to be proud of me and be there for me when I needed it as every child should have, that's why I want to be there for you, just so you know someone cares about you and will look after you" he explained to the girl. "There's nothing else in it for me" he finished sincerely.

Natalie flung herself into his arms much to his surprise and began sobbing. Harry just held her and comforted her as best he could. He chanced a look at Daphne and could see that she was crying silently. He opened his other arm to the blonde and she fell into it at his invitation. The trio stayed this way for several moments until Natalie slowly extracted herself from the pair.

"Do you mean it?" she whispered at the older boy.

"I really mean it" Harry answered with a smile. "Here" he said handing the girl a necklace he removed from his pocket. It was a simple silver chain with a red ruby on it.

Natalie hesitantly took the piece of jewellery and just admired it.

"Why would you give me this?" she asked.

"It is very special" Harry answered the girl. "It belonged to my Grandmother" he explained. "She was a very special lady and my grandfather gave her this, it has some very useful spells on it" he said with a nod.

"What spells?" the young girl asked.

"Well" Harry began. "It will protect you from most minor curses but the really useful one is a connection spell" he informed her.

Natalie looked confused so Harry continued.

"It is connected to me so if you ever need me then you just hold the stone in your hand and think of me and I will come" he explained.

Natalie just stared at the chain in awe.

"You'd do that for me?" she questioned disbelievingly.

"Of course" Harry answered with a smile. "That is what I am here for".

"Thank you Harry" Natalie said sincerely and hugged him again.

"You're welcome" Harry responded with a small smile.

Daphne pulled herself away from Harry and just stared at him, her eyes still full of tears.

"You prat" she mumbled at him shaking her head.

"What did I do now?" he asked incredulously.

"How can I stay mad at you when you do things like that?" she asked with a pout.

"You can't" Harry said with a grin. "But I did it for her" he added with a nod towards the younger girl.

Daphne nodded and smiled softly at him.

"How are you such a good person after everything?" she questioned him gently and ran a hand down his cheek.

"I'm not perfect, I've made a lot of mistakes" Harry said flatly. "I just remember that feeling of wanting to be saved and it didn't happen until Arcturus came along" he added with a shake of his head.

"No one is perfect Harry" Daphne replied. "That doesn't mean that you aren't an amazing person" she added. "You really care about that miserable git don't you?" she asked him.

Harry chuckled at her description of the older man.

"You've noticed that about him then" he stated. "But yeah, despite the fact that he is a miserable git, as you so eloquently put, I do care about him, he was there for me when I needed it most and gave me what I have now" he explained to the girl. "I will always be grateful to him for everything he has done" he added sincerely.

The three of them spent the remainder of the morning by the lake, just talking and having fun, Harry even taught the two some useful spells that would come in handy if the need ever arose.

As lunch time approached Harry began escorting them to the castle. They were almost at the door when they were interrupted by the arrival of a house-elf.

"Elgar?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Master Potter sir" the elf addressed Harry in a panic. "Lord Black is sick sir and he needs your help" the frantic elf explained.

"Take me to him" Harry requested his happy demeanour immediately vanishing.

The elf grabbed hold of Harry by the arm and the two disappeared.

Daphne saw that Natalie was looking really concerned so she placed an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sure he will be ok" she said reassuringly as she led the younger girl into the castle.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived in the drawing room along with Elgar to find Arcturus barely conscious and slumped over his desk looking very pale, his breathing heavy and laboured.

He rushed to his side and tried to rouse the man who just looked up at him and babbled incoherently.

"What happened?" Harry asked the elf.

"He was just coughing sir and fell like that" the elf explained worriedly.

Harry just nodded and reached into his shirt to remove his Hogwarts portkey. He grabbed Arcturus by the shoulder.

"Hogwarts Help" he said desperately knowing the need to get the older man help was dire.

The pair arrived in the hospital wing with Harry having to pick the man up in his arms to prevent him from falling. It was then that Harry realised just how old Arcturus was. He felt very light in his arms and for the first time, Harry saw him as vulnerable, something he hadn't even considered. Instead of the usual full of energy, aged man that would usually be in front of him, was an elderly man cradled in his arms, nothing more than sick and needy as many older people found themselves.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Harry shouted for the healer.

"I told you to keep the noise down in here Potter" Madame Pomfrey said irritable as she came from her office. "Oh" she intoned as she saw the older man in his arms. "What Happened?" she asked, now in full healer mode.

"I don't know" Harry answered weakly. "His elf came and got me, he was coughing and just ended up like this" he explained.

"Put him on the bed" Pomfrey instructed.

Harry did as he was told and stood back to let the healer do her job. He was scared for the older man, a feeling he had never felt except for when Hermione had been paralysed in their second year.

Madame Pomfrey began waving her wand over the older man, trying to determine what was wrong with him. She frowned at the diagnostic results and shook her head sadly.

"He's been cursed" she said simply. "I don't know what it is but I can ease some of the symptoms" she explained.

Harry released his wand and sent off two separate patronuses.

Madame Pomfrey began administering potions to the older man and after a few minutes the door to the hospital wing opened and in came Albus Dumbledore looking very concerned.

"What happened?" he asked Harry gravely.

Harry explained what he knew to the old man who just nodded sadly.

"I see" he replied. He then stepped forward and began waving his wand over the man, mumbling in several languages, many that Harry did not recognise.

During this process the doors opened once again to admit a very confused and concerned looking Sirius who just looked at Harry clearly wanting an explanation which the teen gave.

"It is a curse of Nordic origins" Dumbledore informed the duo. "We need Severus immediately, curses are his forte" he explained and sent of his patronus to fetch the man.

It was a long and worrisome ten minutes before the potions master entered the room looking his usual surly self. He sneered at the presence of Harry and Sirius before addressing the headmaster.

"This had better be important Albus, I was busy" he said grumpily.

"Baron Black has been cursed" Dumbledore informed the man. "I was hoping you could shine some light on the matter".

Snape just huffed and approached the heavily breathing man and began waving his wand over him, mumbling in a similar fashion to Dumbledore.

"Nordic" he said neutrally after a moment and raised his eyebrows. "It is a conversion curse" he continued. "It turns oxygen into carbon monoxide, something muggles die of from exposure to because of some of their foolish devices" he explained.

"Can you reverse it?" Sirius asked the man reluctantly.

"It is too late" Snape answered shaking his head. "Had we gotten to him sooner he could have been saved without the counter" he continued. "The curse has done irreparable damage and it can't be undone, his organs are starving and failing" he finished with a shrug.

Harry and Sirius shared a look before Harry spoke.

"Who?" he asked the mean simply who just looked at him casually.

"This would be one of the Lestrange curses" he answered. "I have seen Rudolphus and Rabastan use this before" he explained.

"Rudolphus" Sirius growled angrily. "I killed Rabastan as soon as the fight started" he told the other three.

"So there's nothing we can do?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

Snape just shook his head.

"We can alleviate some of the symptoms and take any pain away, that is the best we can do" Madame Pomfrey cut in sadly.

"Do what you can" Harry instructed quietly and sat in the chair next to the bed lost in thought. Sirius took the seat on the other side of the bed.

"Lestrange" Harry hissed angrily, his magic reacting to his mood.

He shared a look with Sirius and they both nodded knowingly at each other.

 _(BREAK)_

Bellatrix Lestrange was sat in a living room in Malfoy manor with her younger sister absentmindedly twirling her wand through her hair as Narcissa rambled on about something inconsequential.

She was thinking about her grandfather, a man she had not seen in many years, a man she had believed dead for some time. It seemed that no one saw fit to inform her that the man was still alive, including her sister.

The duo was interrupted by the arrival of Rudolphus who was in a towering rage. He slammed the door as he entered and simply glared at the two while breathing heavily. Bellatrix ignored her husband; he was nothing more than a simpleton, a moron at best.

"I'm going to fucking murder that cousin of yours" he roared angrily pointing at his wife who just raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"You'll do nothing of the sort Rudy" she told him casually but there was an undertone of danger to her voice.

"He killed my brother you whore" he screamed. "I'm going to gut him like a fucking fish" he proclaimed making a clumsily violent gesture with his hand.

"You will touch no member of my family" Bellatrix hissed threateningly. "Your brother was an idiot and got what he deserved" she added.

Rudolphus grinned triumphantly.

"I already got that old bastard grandfather of yours" he boasted smugly.

"You did what?" Bellatrix questioned casually while Narcissa looked on in concern.

"Cursed the old shit in the back while you were playing with him" Rudolphus informed proudly not sensing the danger.

As quick as a flash Bellatrix had her wand pointed at her husband.

" _Crucio"_ she screeched in fury.

Rudolphus screamed in pain under his wife's curse and fell in a heap, twitching and jerking uncontrollably.

"You dare raise a wand towards my family?" she questioned the man who was screaming still.

"Bella stop" Narcissa tried. "We don't know what he did" she added.

Bellatrix reluctantly lifted the curse and glared at the man.

"What did you do to my grandfather?" she hissed.

Yes, she had tried to curse the man herself, but only half-heartedly. She only used family magic against him, spells he could defend against with ease. She didn't want to cause him harm she just wanted him to leave her alone.

"My Grandfathers curse" Rudolphus answered hoarsely with a grimace.

" _Crucio"_ Bellatrix screamed again at the answer she had received. "You dare you filthy pig? You dare attack a member of the Black family with your unworthy magic? I should kill you right now" she screeched, her eyes ablaze with fury.

"I'm your husband" Rudolphus gritted out through the pain.

Bellatrix lifted the curse once more and looked at her husband with disgust.

"Through a marriage I never wanted" she spat bitterly. "Why do you think I never let you share my bed you vile creature, I would rather lie with a half-blood" she finished venomously.

Rudolphus just gaped at his wife in shock and could find no words to say.

"Speaking of half-blood's I think I will leave you for Potter to kill" Bellatrix said gleefully. "He and my grandfather are very close according to Cissy, you are already a dead man" she added with a cackle. "Oh Rudy, Potter is going to tear you limb from limb" she goaded him in a sing song voice. "And I will watch and enjoy the show" she informed him with another cackle.

"I'll rip that little bastards head off" Rudolphus roared in anger.

"Ha" Bellatrix exclaimed. "You did see him duel the Dark Lord did you not?" she asked the man. "I thought I would get a go at him but even I am not so foolish" she said sincerely.

Rudolphus looked murderous at his wife's words but before he could speak Bellatrix continued.

"Now Potter" she mused, "Is a real man" she said biting her lip and playing with her hair. "If he wasn't a half-blood then he would be worthy of a witch like me" she added confidently. "He's powerful, he's very handsome and I bet he knows how to use his wand" she finished licking her lips.

"Bella!" Narcissa tried reprimanding her sister.

"Oh come on Cissy, you've seen him up close, you know what I mean, don't tell me you wouldn't want some fun with him" Bellatrix replied with a raised eyebrow.

Narcissa began to sputter incoherently.

"He's the same age as my son" she responded weakly.

"Then he will have a lot of stamina" Bellatrix returned, her eyes alight with excitement.

"I'm going to kill that prick" Rudolphus shouted getting to his feet and leaving the room in a rage.

"Go get him Rudy" Bellatrix said quietly with a girly giggle.

"What do we do about grandfather?" Narcissa asked clearly unsure.

"Can you find him?" Bellatrix asked.

"I think so" Narcissa answered.

"Ok" Bellatrix began as she went to the table and pulled some parchment towards her. "This is the counter-curse" she informed her sister while she wrote. "And this is a note for Potter" she added in amusement. "For his eyes only" she said firmly, sealing the note with a tap of her wand. "I haven't done anything to it" she finished sincerely.

"You better not, he will kill me if I try to give him something cursed" Narcissa said knowingly.

"Find him quickly" Bellatrix instructed her younger sister.

Narcissa nodded and left the room.

Bellatrix laid on the sofa and continued twirling her hair with her wand, humming a casual tune.

 _(BREAK)_

It had been three days since Harry had disappeared with the elf and Daphne had not seen him since. He had sent her a message informing her that things weren't looking good and that she needed to focus on her OWLS. He wished her luck and told her that he would let her know any developments.

She was worried about the boy knowing how much he cared for the man but she took his advice and busied herself with her last minute revision and preparations. She had little doubt that she would do well, especially with the extra tutelage she had had from Harry.

So far the exams and practical's had been relatively easy for her and she was grateful for the advice she had been given by the boy. She had managed all the extra credit sections and even performed extra spells. One of her examiners asked if she knew Harry and told the girl that he had assessed him personally and was still suffering from disbelief at the young man's ability.

There were only a few of the exams left and then she could relax again for the summer, something she definitely needed after this year. She just hoped that Harry would be able to spend some time with her over the holidays. She knew it would be a very long few months without him if she didn't see him. That was something she did not want to think about. Despite her earlier confusion and conclusions about the boy she had to admit he had more than proved her wrong. She was becoming painfully fond of him now; something she never thought she would be capable of with anyone let alone Harry Potter.

All she could do was wait and see what would come and deal with it as it did and hope that it would all fall in to place how she wanted it to. She just wanted Harry to be happy and safe. She wanted him to have the peace he wanted more than anything but not at the expense of his life; that would not do. She wanted his happiness to be with her and she would do everything she could to make that happen.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Sirius had spent most of the past 3 days in the hospital wing with Arcturus, each leaving to fetch clean clothes and a shower respectively.

Arcturus's condition was slowly getting worse as time went by but he was comfortable at least and experiencing no pain. He had his moments of consciousness and clarity but slept mostly. He only woke to request that the family gather to discuss things so Ted, Andromeda and Tonks had also been present most of the third day waiting for the man to wake.

It was just before dinner when the man came to and saw those gathered around him.

"Good" he said weakly. "We have things to talk about" he informed them as seriously as possible. "I need to talk to Potter and Sirius alone first" he explained to the other three who left immediately to give them privacy.

Harry and Sirius gathered closer to the older man and waited for him to begin.

"It's time for you to take over Sirius" he said to his grandson with a nod.

Sirius shook his head at the man.

"I can't" he said sadly.

"Why not?" Arcturus asked clearly surprised.

"Our family has a reputation to uphold and I'm not the man to do it" Sirius began his explanation. "Even though I'm innocent I went to Azkaban for 12 years for murder and betraying my friends, people will never forget that and they won't trust or respect me" he continued. "And I plan on marrying a werewolf, something no one will approve of" he added. "Harry is my heir, is and will be respected more than anyone, it should be him" he finished with a firm nod.

"That might be the most sensible thing you've ever said" Arcturus responded frowning and turned to Harry.

"Then it is up to you to take the lead Potter" the older man said to the shocked teen.

"Me?" Harry asked with a hint of sadness.

"Yes" Arcturus replied irritably.

"But won't the line die out if I take over, I'm a Potter" Harry pointed out.

"You can choose to take the Black name or you can even pass it on to one of your sons if you want" Arcturus explained. "But even if you don't then I am proud to say that my line was absorbed into one such as yours" he said sincerely. "It has to be you Potter, there is no other man who I would allow to take it if Sirius won't" Arcturus finished firmly.

Harry conceded with a reluctant nod.

"Good man" Arcturus said. "And remember you are a Black by blood as much as you are a Potter, you even look like one of us" he mused.

There was a comfortable silence while Arcturus gained his breath before he spoke again.

"Now you two" he said seriously. "You have to rely on and trust each other no matter what" he continued. "There are very few people you will be able to trust implicitly but I know you two can without any doubt" he said confidently. "I can see how much you care for each other, either of you would give your lives for the other, never ever lose sight of that" he added firmly. "You will need each other, you can't do this alone" he finished firmly.

Harry and Sirius shared a look and a nod in agreement with the man's words.

"Now fetch the others" Arcturus instructed.

Sirius left and returned a moment later with the other three.

They all gathered around the bed again waiting for the older man to talk when the doors burst open and Narcissa Malfoy entered looking frantic.

"I have the counter-curse" she explained to them hurriedly, waving a piece of parchment at the gathered group.

"What the hell are you doing here Cissy?" Andromeda asked angrily drawing her wand.

"Enough" Arcturus croaked and coughed violently. "She is a Black regardless of her moron of a husband, she should be here" he added after composing himself.

Andromeda put her wand away and Harry snatched the parchment from Narcissa's hand and read it.

"Where did you get this?" Harry asked sceptically.

"Rudolphus told Bellatrix what he did and she gave it to me" Narcissa explained. "She damn near tortured him to insanity for it" she added with a shake of her head.

"Good" Harry said with a feral grin.

He turned to Arcturus and drew his wand.

"Don't" Arcturus said firmly.

"But it might work" Harry responded incredulously. "You have to let me try" he added vehemently.

"No" Arcturus said firmly with a shake of his head.

"But it might save your life" Harry said disbelievingly.

"That's not what I want" Arcturus replied casually.

Harry looked at the man dumbfounded for a moment before he could speak.

"You must be joking" he stated simply and then frowned. "You can't just give up" he added angrily.

"Everybody out except Potter" Arcturus commanded the group who hesitated momentarily before leaving with looks of disbelief adorning their faces.

When the two were alone Arcturus looked at Harry critically for a minute before he spoke.

"What happened after you got hit with that curse in the graveyard?" he asked the young man casually.

"I spoke to my mum and grandfather" Harry answered in confusion.

"And what did they say to you?" Arcturus followed up.

"They told me they'd all be waiting for me" Harry replied with a shrug.

"Exactly" Arcturus said knowingly. "I have people waiting for me too" he added.

Harry just looked at the man sadly.

"I have my sons and my wife waiting for me Harry" Arcturus continued with tears in his eyes. "17 years I've been without her and I have never stopped missing her" he continued in an unusual emotional voice.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"You know" Arcturus began with a chuckle. "I've been mad at Charlus for allowing himself to die from that curse for 15 years" he explained with a shake of his head. "Now I find myself in the same position and I understand. He loved Dorea so much that the chance to be with her again was all he could think about and that is how I feel about Melania" he explained.

"But what will I do without you?" Harry asked emotionally.

"Oh come on Potter there's nothing else I can teach you" Arcturus pointed out. "You're a better man than most and more capable than any I have ever met" he continued sincerely. "Some people just don't want to be saved and you have to accept that" he intoned with a slow nod. "A part of life is letting those go that we care about, no matter how painful it is at the time" he finished.

"But I'll miss you" Harry said weakly.

"And I will be waiting for you when your time is done" Arcturus replied with a gentle smile. "I'll be there with Charlus, Dorea and all the Blacks and Potters, you don't think this friendship is just for here do you?" he asked the boy seriously.

Harry shook his head and laughed reluctantly.

"I hope not" he answered genuinely.

"Just make sure you kick his arse and send him to me and Charlus so we get a turn too" Arcturus said good humouredly.

"I will and Rudolphus too" Harry promised.

"Good" Arcturus replied with a smirk. "Now we have to talk about the family" Arcturus continued. "I don't care how you run things, I trust your judgement, but I have one request" he informed the teen.

"What's that?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Don't turn your back on them, if they seek help then give it to them" he pleaded. "They are our blood and as a Black we always offer help and sanctuary to our own no matter what" he said firmly.

Harry though for a moment and just nodded. He would respect that one request from the man.

"Thank you" Arcturus responded gratefully.

"That doesn't mean I like any of this" Harry replied sadly.

"You don't have to like it, you just have to accept it, it's my time and I get to go on my terms" the older man explained. "Now get the others".

Harry left and retrieved the others as requested. The group stood silently and waited for Arcturus to speak.

"Potter is going to be the head of the family" he informed them casually.

They all looked shocked except for Sirius who nodded his agreement.

"I gave my reasons for not taking over" Sirius explained to the group.

The Tonks' just nodded in agreement and Narcissa looked nervous.

"What does that mean for me?" she asked with concern lacing her tone.

"Your grandfather's offer still stands" Harry answered the woman. "But so does my promise" he added. "How is Lucy anyway?" he asked.

"He got away from the ministry unscathed" Narcissa replied with a shrug.

"Shame" Harry said coldly. "There's always next time" he added with a grin.

"Lucius may be many things but he is no fool" Narcissa responded. "He won't fight you".

"Who says he has a choice" Harry returned angrily his eyes flashing dangerously. "I am going to kill that bastard if I get the chance" he promised looking the woman in the eye.

Narcissa swallowed deeply and nodded. She knew the boy meant it.

"Now all that is left is for me to pass on the headship" Arcturus cut in removing his family ring. He looked at it lovingly before holding it out for Harry to take which he did hesitantly and with no small amount of sadness.

"This may feel a little strange" Arcturus warned him. "Put the ring on" he instructed.

Harry placed the ring on his left middle finger and waited.

"I, Arcturus Orion Black, hereby name Harry James Potter as my successor as head of the Black family, may you carry the name proudly and bring honour to our great house" he finished.

Harry felt a huge wave of magic pass through him and he felt quite light-headed from the influx.

The group watched as Harry's eyes changed to a cold steel grey briefly before turning back to the usual emerald green.

"It is done" Arcturus informed them. "The ring carries a few useful protections for the whole family, you will feel a connection to everyone with Black blood" he explained. "You will get all the relevant knowledge of the family, safe houses and so on" he finished.

Harry nodded and could feel the magic tingling within him. He didn't feel any more powerful but he was more aware of the magic within him.

"Now leave me in peace" Arcturus commanded. "I need some sleep, I'm not quite dead yet" he finished irritably.

The gathered people congratulated Harry on becoming head of the family. Before they left Narcissa asked to speak to Harry privately and handed him the note that Bellatrix had given her. He just nodded at her and pocketed it.

Harry and Sirius remained for a while and just spoke, something they had not had much time to do over the last few months and something they both appreciated very much.

They both knew Arcturus didn't have much time left and opted to stay close by and be here when the time came.

Internally Harry was feeling more than a little heartbroken. He truly cared for the old git and was struggling to accept that he was going to die and that he wanted to. He was going to miss him and fought continuously against trying to counter the curse. He knew Arcturus would be furious.

Harry understood how he felt, he felt it himself and there were times he couldn't wait to be with his parents but that did not make it any easier for him. All it felt like was that someone else he cared about was going to be taken away from him again, something he had a lot of experience of. He wanted to scream, shout and cry but instead he allowed those emotions to simmer under the surface. Now was not the time to let them out and he knew it. He fought the tears for the sake of the older man knowing that he would prefer Harry to be strong until the time was right to let it out.

 _(BREAK)_

Narcissa Malfoy exited Hogwarts and disapparated back to the manor to inform her sister of the day's developments. It had taken her three days to track her grandfather down and even then it was all for nothing.

She entered the living room where she and her sister spent most of their time to find Bellatrix lazing on the sofa as she usually did when she had nothing better to do.

When Bellatrix saw her sister enter the room she sat up and looked at questioningly.

"Well?" she asked when Narcissa said nothing.

Narcissa shook her head.

"He wouldn't let the curse be countered" she told the other woman.

"Why?" Bellatrix asked with a frown.

"He said he wanted to go" Narcissa explained with a shrug.

"Unbelievable" Bellatrix said in exasperation. "What about Potter?" she added.

"I gave him your note I don't know if he's read it yet though" Narcissa replied. "He really has it in for Lucius and Rudolphus though".

Bellatrix cackled with glee.

"Maybe we can both be rid of our idiot husbands then" she exclaimed hopefully.

"I don't want rid of my husband Bella" Narcissa responded sadly. "I already lost my son" she added shaking her head.

"Oh come on Cissy Lucius is a moron and you know it, he is definitely going to get himself killed this time he is next to useless with a wand and his connections are gone" Bellatrix pointed out.

Narcissa said nothing; she knew her sister wouldn't understand having been in a marriage she detested.

"Potter is the head of the family" Narcissa spoke quietly.

"What!" Bellatrix screeched.

"Sirius didn't want it and Potter is his heir" Narcissa explained.

"Interesting" Bellatrix intoned tapping her chin with a finger. "I guess I can't kill him even if I wanted to then" she added with a frown.

"But he can't kill you either" Narcissa informed her.

"Why not?" Bellatrix asked curiously.

"Grandfather made him promise to offer anyone with Black blood sanctuary and help if we asked for it" Narcissa said with a shrug.

"Very interesting" Bellatrix declared. "But that doesn't mean he won't let us be killed or order us to be killed" she added thoughtfully. "We are going to have to be neutral towards him" she finished with a nod.

"You think the Dark Lord will allow that?" Narcissa questioned with a surprised tone.

"He wants to kill Potter personally" Bellatrix pointed out. "I don't plan on fighting him, I don't quite fancy death yet" she added with a shrug.

"Me either" Narcissa agreed. "What do we do?" she asked.

"The Dark Lord is still sulking and is definitely scared of Potter" Bellatrix replied frowning. "He won't be looking to fight him any time soon, especially without knowing what that stupid prophecy says" she said confidently. "We just wait and see what happens" she finished with a shrug.

Narcissa just nodded her agreement.

"I wonder if he will take me up on my offer, it wouldn't hurt to score some points with the new head of the family either" Bellatrix mused aloud.

Narcissa had no idea what her sister had done but she knew it would not be taken well by the Dark Lord if her were to discover it. Chances were that it would be bad for her also.

 _(BREAK)_

It was in the early hours of the morning that Harry and Sirius found themselve's sat vigil on either side of the bed that Arcturus was occupying.

For the past several hours they had felt him getting weaker and weaker and they were now simply waiting for him to pass.

Harry clutched the older man's hand and could almost feel the life draining from him; he could certainly feel his magic getting weaker. He had been fighting the tears to an unbearable degree and for the past hour or so they had been threatening to fall. He held strong however and his eyes remained dry despite how hard it was for him to accept the man's decision.

Harry felt the older man grip his hand quite firmly for a man who was on his death bed and returned the gesture but much more gently. He knew the moment was drawing ever closer and he steeled himself.

Arcturus opened his eyes briefly and looked at the two men and gave them a weak smile before he closed his eyes for the final time.

Upon feeling the man's grip loosen in his own Harry allowed his head to slump to his chest and the first tears to fall. He desperately squeezed the hand he still held willing the man to respond, but it was not to be.

Baron Arcturus Orion Black had passed on. He would be reunited with the wife and the son's that had long since left him, something he had been waiting for for many years.

Harry Potter openly wept over the body of the man that not only saved him but made him who he was now. He would never forget Arcturus Black, his personal saviour and friend in his greatest time of need, until the very end.

 **A/N**

 **It is a little shorter than usual but I felt that it was right to end it here. Killing off Arcturus was certainly something I did not take lightly, I myself became very fond of the character I created but wanted to give him an end that was fitting. It was not done simply for dramatic effect. It was for the development of Harry and Sirius and to remove the final vestiges of their immaturity, changes which you will see in the coming chapters.**

 **Please favourite, follow and review.**

 **TBS**


	15. Keeping the Promise

Chapter 15: Keeping the Promise

Lord Voldemort had spent much of his time alone since the disaster in the ministry of magic; two weeks of near solitude. He was in no mood to neither entertain nor be in the company of others, he had too much to think about for such distractions. There had been some well received news for the Dark Lord however and that came in the form of Fenrir Greyback returning from the continent with around fifty of his kin. The Dark Lord had expected many more but they were a welcome addition nonetheless. He suspected that word of Harry Potter and his actions had spread rapidly and caused many of them to not join his service, something that would be rectified with the boy's death.

Lord Voldemort was still plagued with worry however. A sense of fear and unease had settled within him, much to his annoyance. He had never had reason to fear anyone or anything but Harry Potter had changed that. The Dark Lord had technically killed him twice, yet he still breathed and fought back. That would simply not do. The Dark Lord despised insolence but it was something he would have to tolerate for the time being. Potters day would come but Lord Voldemort was no fool, there was one thing he needed first before he would chance an encounter with the boy again; that damn prophecy.

He had been pondering the blasted thing since that night and drew nothing but blanks as to what the contents could be. It angered him, it annoyed him and it worried him, something that angered him further. The Dark Lord had allowed himself to be trapped in a vicious cycle and he knew he needed to act drastically to break it.

This is why he had sent for one of his oldest and most loyal followers. The man had heard the first part of the prophecy and passed on what he knew to his master but it was not enough. Lord Voldemort needed more and he would get it by any means necessary.

The man he was waiting for entered the room and prostrated himself before him in his usual fashion.

"My Lord" Snape intoned with a bow.

"Ahh Severus, I believe it is time that we have a talk" Voldemort replied casually.

The potions master remained silent but it was clear that he was nervous, a talk with the Dark Lord never ended well if it did not go the way he wanted.

"What news is there of Potter?" Voldemort asked the man.

"He has not been seen since the night Black died" Snape informed him.

"I see" Voldemort mused. "When is the funeral?" he asked further.

"Tomorrow my Lord" Snape answered knowingly. "Are you planning an attack?" he added.

"No Severus I will grant the boy the grace of a funeral, call it a gift if you will" the Dark Lord explained with a smirk.

The truth was he knew that the funeral would be very heavily guarded and near impossible to stage an attack. It would be a blood bath that his men would be on the receiving end of and he simply did not have the disposable numbers right now.

"That is generous of you my Lord" Snape intoned with a bow.

"It is indeed" Voldemort agreed. "However that is not why I requested your presence Severus" he told the man.

"How can I be of service?" Snape asked.

"It was you, was it not, that brought the prophecy to my attention all those years ago?" he began rhetorically. "I want to know who gave the prophecy" he stated firmly.

"I can't tell you my Lord the headmaster forced me to give an oath" Snape replied desperately, knowing that that mean nothing to the man.

"That is a shame Severus" Voldemort said casually. "But I really do need that information" he finished dangerously.

Snape just stood rooted to the spot, he knew the man would get the information he wanted one way or another even if that forfeited his life.

Voldemort stood and drew his wand. He walked slowly towards the man casually.

"It seems having you as my spy has benefitted me very little Severus" he said irritably. "You have bought me nothing overtly useful since my return and the one thing I want is something that you can give" he added dangerously.

"My Lord I have information" the potions master said desperately. "You have not been available to receive it" he pointed out.

The Dark Lord paused. It was true that he had instructed his men not to disturb him unless it was of the utmost importance.

"Ok Severus" he granted. "Share with me what you have" he requested firmly taking his seat again.

"Potter has been spending quite a lot of time at Hogwarts" Snape began frantically. "He has been in the company of one of my fifth years, Daphne Greengrass, it seems they have become very fond of each other" he informed the man.

"Interesting" Voldemort mused. "Something to think on" he added. "What else?" he questioned with a frown.

"He has also become very fond of a muggleborn first year" Snape continued. "She's an orphan like him, her name is McDonald or something" he explained with a frown.

"Very interesting" Voldemort said with a smirk. "I have just the thing for her".

He looked at Snape critically waiting for him to proceed.

"He has already completed his OWLS to a very high level" he continued weakly.

"His magic is beyond foolish schooling" Voldemort spat. "If you have nothing else Severus then I am afraid I will have to take what it is I do want".

"No please my Lord" Snape pleaded. "I can still be useful to you".

"The most use you can be is giving me what I want" the Dark Lord responded drawing his wand. "I do hope your oath was worth it Severus". _"Crucio"_ he finished with a sadistic smile.

Snape collapsed to the floor in a heap and screamed his throat raw. He knew if he told the man then his magic was forfeit and maybe even his life.

"Who was it Severus?" Voldemort asked desperately after he had lifted the curse. "Who gave the prophecy?"

Snape was silent but jerked involuntarily. He knew he could not hold up long under the Dark Lords power. He steeled himself knowing that more was to follow. But the pain he expected did not come. Instead he was hit with a bludgeoner to the knee. It seems the Dark Lord had become more inventive with his punishments and interrogations; he did not just rely on one curse anymore.

Snape knew he was in for a very painful experience; the Dark Lord was unforgiving and unrelenting. Either his mind would break or his body would. It mattered not because he was a dead man no matter what.

The spells continued to inflict pain on the potions master for an inordinate amount of time. It is strange the punishment that the human body can absorb and still function to a degree of clarity. Severus Snape was certainly surprised by the resilience he demonstrated but a large part of him wished that he was much weaker and would succumb to the inevitable much quicker. He had lost consciousness several times throughout the ordeal but found himself awake once more after only a moment.

He was in so much pain that he could not even hazard a guess as to what damage had been done to him. He could feel many broken bones and several trails of blood running from the many wounds he had received. The worst was the smell however. The sweet and sickly smell of burnt flesh and iron that plagued his nose caused him to vomit several times. He could also smell urine but chose to ignore that one. He refused to accept that he had pissed himself although he knew that was a common side effect of great physical trauma.

Despite all that had been done to him he refused to relent, he owed that much to Lily, he had failed with every other promise he had made to her after she had passed, but he would not fail this time.

"Come Severus, even you know now that you will have no quality of life after this" Voldemort cut in. "Just tell me what I want to know and I will heal you" he promised with a faux sincere tone. "Tell me now" he roared as he fired another string of curses at the downed man.

Snape just lay on the ground unmoving; it seemed that his body had finally had enough.

" _Ennervate"_ the Dark Lord shouted, pointing his wand towards the man.

Nothing happened.

Voldemort began waving his wand over the man and found that he was still alive, just. He smirked to himself; he knew what would work now, something he wouldn't try on a strong willed man unless he knew he could defeat them, a mistake he had made with Harry Potter.

He readied himself and faded into a thick black fog to enter the man's mind. He entered and found that it was in a deplorable state; it seems that Severus had had some very powerful mind defences, something the Dark Lord was pleased no longer remained.

It took him quite some time to find what he was looking for but he found it eventually. He watched the memory of Snape spying in the Hog's Head and immediately recognised the voice; he had after all heard it at Hogwarts when he was possessing that fool Quirrel.

At least Snape had been honest about only hearing the first part of the prophecy as the Dark Lord saw him expelled from the premises for his snooping. He extracted himself from Snape's mind and smiled as he pressed his wand to the man's mark to summon two of his followers. He had the perfect plan to remind Potter that he should not be taken lightly and the perfect people to execute it.

He waited impatiently for the two men to arrive watching the form of Severus Snape draining the last dregs of life it possessed. He waved his wand over the man once more and found that there was no response at all, Severus Snape was dead.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry Potter had spent the last two weeks in a self-imposed isolation. He needed time and space to put everything into perspective. The only exception to this isolation had been Sirius to whom he had spent a reasonable amount of time with arranging the funeral and so forth.

Harry felt something that he had not ever felt before in his life, he felt numb. Any compassion he had ever had had died along with the older man, a man that he missed more and more as each day passed. Although he had not seen him much save for meal times the emptiness the man left behind permeated throughout the house. He had felt it the instant he had returned, the very day that Arcturus had passed on.

He arrived back in the drawing room to find a very inconsolable Elgar who had forgone his usual professional manner in favour of demonstrating his grief at the loss of his life-long master.

"I'm sorry Elgar" Harry said sincerely to the elf.

"It's not your fault Lord Black" the elf replied dismissively with more than a hint of pain in his voice. "I shall be gone be the evening" he added with a firm nod.

"Why?" Harry asked incredulously.

"My service with the Black family is to end when Lord Arcturus passes" the elf informed him sadly.

"Is that what you want?" Harry questioned the elf with a frown.

"No Sir" Elgar answered firmly. "But you's has your elf sir" he added sadly.

"Elgar there is always a place for you here" Harry said placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you want to stay then you can, this is your home and I'm sure you would be a great help to me" he finished resolutely.

"You would keep Elgar?" the elf asked clearly surprised.

"I would love for you to stay" Harry replied genuinely. "You can carry out the same duties, nothing has to change" he explained to the elf.

"Elgar would like that Lord Black" the elf responded with a bow.

"How about you just call me master Potter as you always have" Harry suggested. "Arcturus was your master and I don't expect you to call me Lord Black if it upsets you".

"Thank you Master Potter" the elf said gratefully.

Harry bonded the elf to the house of Black and allowed him to continue the service he had been carrying out for many decades, it was the least he could do.

The two weeks that had passed since the death of Arcturus had been trying for them both. They shared a relationship similar to what they always had but Harry made an extra effort to ensure that the elf was coping as best he could. He could see the heartbreak that he himself felt reflected in Elgar's eyes and wanted to help him as much as he could.

Today was the day of the funeral, something Harry did not feel much like facing but knew that it was his duty as both a friend and the head of the family to do so.

He knew the media and many people would be in attendance, Arcturus was the last living Baron after all so it was expected. He had made sure to invite all of those he wished to attend personally; even Elgar and Dobby would both be there, much to the Black elf's relief.

He had spent much time along with Sirius at the Black crypt preparing for the day. He had ensured that the security of the venue was as good as could be provided; no one would be in attendance without him knowing about it. He had made sure that there was enough seating for the ample number of guests and that the wake was catered and provided for sufficiently. He just wanted the day to go ahead without any issues or problems.

He was the first to arrive at the crypt followed closely by Sirius who hugged his godson as he arrived.

"Are you ready for this?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"We have to be" Harry answered flatly.

This was something that Sirius had noticed about his godson since his grandfather had passed. He seemed to have taken the man's words on board and began including him in everything the way the man wanted. It was them against the world and Sirius would have it no other way. He was proud to be the young man's confidant and would mirror his sentiment; it was them the way his Grandfather wished it would be.

"We will get through this, all of it" he said resolutely.

They spoke for only a few minutes when the first guests began to arrive, Dobby and Elgar had been here all morning preparing for the service. Albus Dumbledore was the first to arrive and greeted the duo solemnly.

"I am truly sorry for your loss" he intoned to the pair sincerely. "Although we didn't see eye to eye on most things he was a great man in his own right" he finished genuinely.

"Thank you Professor" Harry said gratefully.

"Thank you" Sirius replied with a bow.

A flood of guests arrived after the headmaster; The Tonks', Narcissa, the Greengrass's and many others Harry did not recognise, even Cornelius Fudge appeared much to Harry's surprise.

"I am saddened by your loss Lord Potter" the man intoned with a bow. "If there is anything I can do then please do not hesitate to ask" he added.

"Actually Minister there is" Harry responded thoughtfully. "I would like immunity from prosecution, you know I am his number one target and he and his followers will be coming for me, I would like to be able to defend myself and any other who needs it without worry" he explained to the man.

Fudge looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded.

"Consider it done, I doubt there would be anyone who would argue with your logic" Fudge said in agreement.

"And my godfather also, he spends most of his time with me" Harry pointed out.

"I will have the paperwork sent out first thing tomorrow, but do keep it quiet" he requested. "It would not do to see I am essentially giving you a hit-wizard licence" he finished firmly.

"Of course Minister" Harry answered with a grin.

"Clever" Sirius said as Fudge walked away.

"He was hardly going to deny me was he" Harry replied.

"He knows you are going to do what you want anyway, it was in his best interest" Sirius said with a shrug. "This way he is part of the solution and not hindering the effort".

Seeing that the venue was full of people and the service was about to begin the two took their seats on the front row with the rest of the Black family.

The service began and Harry found himself simply staring at the ornate, black coffin where the older man was now resting. He was completely transfixed on the wooden construct and heard very little of the monotonous proceedings. The man carrying out the service clearly knew nothing of the man and read from simple pre-written passages.

"Are there any among you who wish to say a few words?" the man questioned the crowd after he had finished his ramblings.

Harry immediately stood. He was not well versed in speeches and such public events but he wanted to say something, he knew it was expected of him at the very least being the new head of the Black family. He approached the podium on the raised dais and took a deep breath, the crowd watching with unwavering attentiveness.

"It is my duty of the new head of the Black family to say a few words about my predecessor" he began.

There was some murmuring amongst the members of the crowd that clearly did not know he had been named as the new Lord Black.

"But I do not stand here out of duty today" he continued. "I stand here privileged and simply as Harry James Potter". "I've heard Arcturus described as a miserable old git, a cantankerous bastard and even surly and unfriendly and I have to say that I agree with all of those" he said with a smirk. "But I have heard him described as one thing that I will never see him as and that is heartless" he stated sincerely.

Some members of the crowd mumbled at this but allowed Harry to continue.

"Although he will kick my arse for saying this, Arcturus Orion Black had the biggest heart of any person I have ever met" Harry went on. "At the risk of his own life and for the sake of an old friend he rescued a skinny, under-grown and underprepared fourteen year old boy from the direst of situations. He welcomed that boy into his home, he cared for him, he healed him, he fed him and he clothed him but above all that he taught him who he was and gave him what he needed to be strong, the way he needed to be to handle what it is he faced and still faces" he explained. "That skinny kid was me" he added sadly. "I owe my life to Arcturus Orion Black and I stand here today proud to call him nothing short of my friend. He gave me something that I had never had before; a place to call home. He gave me strength and he gave me hope when I needed it most. He told me all about my family and he showed me what it was to be a man of both of my lines and I will take those lessons and honour him and his memory until the day I die" Harry vowed.

He walked towards the coffin and placed his right hand on it.

"Thank you my friend" he whispered. "I will lead your family proudly and bring honour to your name as I will my own" he added wiping away a stray tear.

He approached the podium once again and looked towards over the crowd.

"Now that is done there is something else I have to say and it is directly to the reason as to why we had to be here today" he began seriously.

The audience looked at him expectantly and he took a deep breath before continuing, attempting to control his anger, but he was already failing and he could feel his magic reacting to it.

"To anyone who carries the mark and follows the self-styled Dark Lord Voldemort" he said dangerously.

Many in the crowd gasped and flinched at the use of the name but Harry ignored it.

"I am coming for every single one of you, without mercy" he continued his anger becoming more apparent, his eyes glowing with the usual emerald fire.

"You have taken the last person you will take from me and now it is my turn" he said darkly. "I promise I will hunt every last one of you down until there is none of you bastards left" he added resolutely.

"You can't do that" a voice from the media broke in in disbelief.

"Actually" Cornelius Fudge replied. "He can, Mr Potter is a registered hit-wizard and we are at war" he explained. "I have personally signed the paperwork myself" he added giving Harry a firm nod.

The journalists began writing ferociously.

"And Tom" Harry cut in loudly. "I am coming for you too and I will be sending you to hell, even if I have to make the journey there with you myself" he vowed.

"Who is Tom?" one of the journalists shouted in question.

"Tom Riddle" Harry answered the man. "You are a journalist, work it out".

The journalists shared a look and a shrug; it was something they would have to look in to.

Harry left the stage and resumed his seat. A few other people gave speeches and to Harry's surprise even Sirius said a few words.

It was not long after the service that most of the attendees found themselves at the Three Broomsticks at the wake of Arcturus. Harry, Sirius and the rest of the Black family members had spent much of their time entertaining well-wishers and people offering condolences. One of the less enjoyable aspects of such an event.

Neither Harry nor Sirius were in the mood for this formality but both tolerated it for the sake of the man. The truth was that they both just wanted to be alone and figuring out what their next move would be, something that Arcturus would usually handle or at least have things to suggest. Nonetheless they were here and everything else would be put on hold for today while they both mourned and celebrated the life and passing of the older man.

Harry had just thanked what felt like the thousandth person for coming when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder; he turned to see Jonathan Greengrass looking at him with concern.

"How are you holding up Harry?" he asked in a caring voice.

Harry shrugged and ran is hand through his hair.

"I'm not sure to be honest" he answered the man with a sigh. "He's the person I got the closest to that I've lost, I feel either numb or angry" he finished with another shrug.

"It's understandable" Jonathan answered. "It might not feel like it now but I promise it does get easier, I went through the same when I lost my mother" he explained. "If there's anything you need then we are here for you" he said gesturing to his family. "Really, anything at all" he added squeezing the young man's shoulder.

"Thank you" Harry replied gratefully.

Jonathan nodded and moved aside to allow other people to have a moment with the teen.

Daphne approached him before anyone else could and took his hand.

"I'm sorry for not being around" Harry said to the girl who just shook her head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, I know how much he meant to you and I really am sorry" she responded with a gentle squeeze of the hand she was holding. "Please just don't feel like you're alone" she pleaded. "I know you do but you aren't, my Dad meant what he said, they really do care about you" she continued. "I care about you" she added.

"You've seen what happens to people who care about me" Harry mumbled.

"Look at me Harry" Daphne request cupping his cheek.

Harry looked into her worry filled icy blue eyes and immediately felt a warmth he had started to become familiar with.

"Are you going to let that happen to me?" she asked him quietly. "Just imagine one of them taking me and doing god knows what to me" she instructed.

"I would make them wish they were dead" Harry growled in fury at the thought, the emerald fire in his eyes roaring in agreement.

"That's why I'm not worried" Daphne explained sincerely. "I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me or my family, so please listen to what my Dad said, we are all here for you, especially me" she said placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Just write to me and see me when you can" She added with a sad smile. "I miss your letters and I miss you" she finished placing a kiss on his cheek before walking away.

Harry could see and feel the honesty coming from her and it made him smile the first genuine smile since the night Arcturus had died. He shook his head in realisation, the realised that he truly cared for the blonde girl more than he thought could be possible. The thought of her warmed him and he took some comfort in that. It did not help with the pang of loss he felt from the passing of his friend and mentor but it filled him with hope of something more, something special to cherish now and to look forward to also. It told him that he still had something worth fighting for other than the simple pleasure of living and the select few he held in any esteem.

"Lord Potter" a low and crackly voice cut in, disrupting his reverie.

"Hello Barchoke" Harry said greeting the goblin with a bow.

"We have business to discuss as you are the new head of the Black family, if you wish to retain my services of course" the goblin informed him.

"I don't see any reason to why I would need to find a new goblin to be in charge of the family finances" Harry replied with a shrug. "What business do we have?" he asked.

"Thank you Lord Potter" the goblin said, clearly relieved. "Firstly we have the reading of the will of Arcturus to be done first and then you and I need to discuss a few things as you are now the head of two families and the owner of a significant fortune" the goblin informed him.

"I didn't even think of that" Harry said ashamedly.

"That's why it is my job to handle it" the goblin replied. "The will reading should be done as soon as possible to deal with any issues that may arise from the passing of the former head" he explained.

Harry thought for a moment before replying.

"How about tomorrow?" he asked.

"Just as I would have suggested" the goblin intoned with a bow. "I shall inform all others named in the will" he added.

"Thank you Barchoke" Harry sighed offering the goblin his hand who shook it gratefully.

"I shall see you tomorrow morning at 9am Lord Potter" the goblin added as he bid his farewell.

The news of a will reading did not sit well with Harry, he truly had not taken that into consideration and it was something he did not want to face. He knew that it was just another of those duties that he would have to fulfil however and would take it in his stride, he just hoped that the formalities would end soon so he could grieve for his friend, something he had had very little time to do.

Harry shook his head sadly and returned to receiving the remainder of the guests. This day could not end quickly enough for the young man.

 _(BREAK)_

As promised, Harry arrived at Gringotts at 9am to meet with Barchoke to listen to Arcturus's will and discuss the business mentioned the previous day.

Unsurprisingly he was greeted by Sirius, the Tonks family and Narcissa. They were quickly led through the same room that Harry had first come to with Arcturus all those months ago. He had a moment of nostalgia that was interrupted by the goblin who was keen to get started.

"We will first hear the will of Arcturus and then we can discuss it if necessary" he informed the group in a business like tone removing a sheaf of parchment from a case embossed with the Black family crest.

The Goblin cleared his throat before he began to read.

" _I, Arcturus Orion Black being of sound mind and body hereby declare this my last will and testament dated the 23_ _rd_ _of May 1996. This will both replaces and takes precedence over any other will dated prior to this one"._

" _Firstly, as you are hearing this then clearly I have passed on. If what a certain young man has told me is true then I shall now be with my wife and sons, finally existing in some form of peace, I hope"._

" _To Andromeda Tonks, I leave you the sum of 5 million galleons in the hope that it gives you the security you deserve in life and an apology. I apologise for not standing by you when you chose to flee instead of marrying a husband of your fathers choosing, he was a fool as was I for allowing him such liberties within the family. I only hope that the new head has a much more firm hand to prevent things like this happening again. Again I apologise to you and hope you can forgive a man for his mistakes"._

Andromeda smiled at the rare sentiment shown by her Grandfather, the apology meant more than the gold ever would. She and Ted had had to work hard for what they had but they had always managed.

" _To Theodore Tonks, as the husband of my granddaughter that gold is as much yours as it is hers. What I give to you is both my blessing and acceptance into the house of Black. I never got to know you but I trust my granddaughter's judgement; you must be a good man to win her over to the point of risking expulsion from the family. Continue looking after the way you have all these years and welcome to the family"._

Ted pulled his wife into a one armed hug. He had never expected any form of acceptance by the older man and having it truly meant a lot to him.

" _To Narcissa Malfoy, I leave you the sum of 5 million galleons under the condition that your idiot husband does not get a single knut of it. I also leave you a bracelet from your grandmother, one that is connected to the head of house ring. Should you need it it will work as a portkey that will take you directly to whoever is head of house. It is tied to the Black blood so only yourself or a member of the family can use it, remember that because the consequences of someone else using it will be most unpleasant"._

Narcissa just smiled sadly at what had been left to her. She wished that her grandfather would accept Lucius but knew that would never happen.

" _To Bellatrix Lestrange…._

Everyone in the room stiffened at this.

" _I leave you with the offer of sanctuary by the house of Black if you choose to accept. You are much better than you have shown and I find myself disappointed in your choices. I give you this ring that will work in the same manner as your sister's; I trust that she will get it to you"._

Narcissa took the ring from the goblin and nodded her agreement and turned to Harry.

"Did you read the note?" she asked him.

"Not yet" Harry replied having forgotten all about it. "I will read it later" he added.

"Bella is keen for you too, she says it is something that will interest you and Sirius" she explained.

Harry looked towards Sirius who just shrugged in reply and the group waited for Barchoke to continue.

" _To Nymphadora Tonks, you may not be a Black by name but you are by blood. I leave you the sum of 5 million galleons and a book of the Black family magic. You have every right to learn it and I implore that you do, it might just save your life. Use the money to build a good life for yourself once this war is over"._

Tonks looked at her mother who nodded her agreement with what Arcturus had said.

" _To Sirius Orion Black, I also leave you the sum of 5 million galleons and a final request. I have watched you grow into a very capable wizard over the last months and I am proud to call you my grandson. I know the family has not always been good to you but carry the name of Black proudly, you certainly do it justice. Protect our blood Sirius and bring honour and respect to our name once more. Find yourself a woman who makes you happy and just live as best you can. Trust Harry and protect him as you should always have. The chance to raise him as you would a son was taken from you but in him you have a brother, hold onto that Sirius you have no idea how important that will be in the days to come"._

Sirius placed an arm around his godson's shoulder and nodded firmly. There was nothing that would stop him being there for him now.

" _And finally to Harry James Potter. What can I say? I have watched you grow from a meek boy into a man I am proud to call not only a friend but also family. I am proud of you Harry no matter what happens but make sure you fulfil what you have set out to do. Never forget who you are and where you come from, I know both Charlus and Dorea would just as proud as I am at the man you have become. I leave you the sum of 5 million galleons and the house we have shared, that is your home now, something I know you have always craved. Trust Sirius and I know that between you both those bastards don't stand a chance. Protect our family Harry, it is precious and all we have left". "And remember to live, kill that bastard and make our family grow, I have a faith in you that I haven't felt since I fought side by side with your grandfather"._

Harry fought the tears that threatened to fall. He really had no idea how much he meant to the older man but hearing it in his own words made it very real and he appreciated it beyond the comprehension of words.

" _I will be waiting for you all on the other side and hope that we do not meet until the time is right. But until then, look out for each other and you will all make it through this storm of that, I have no doubt"._

"That concludes the will of Arcturus Orion Black" Barchoke informed them, placing the parchment back in the case. "Any questions?" he asked the group.

They all shook their heads respectively.

"Ok then our business is done but I must speak with Lord Potter" Barchoke said dismissively.

The group bid their farewells and left after Harry had told them to come to him if they needed anything. He pulled Sirius back as he was about to leave.

"I want you to stay with me" he said to his godfather/ "I'm still not very good at dealing with the goblins" he added.

Sirius looked towards Barchoke who nodded his consent.

"What business do we need to discuss?" Harry asked.

"Well as you are now the head of two families you need to decide if you want to combine the two fortunes or leave them separate" Barchoke informed him.

"Keep it separate" Harry instructed. "The Black line is still alive, it would be disrespectful to merge everything as things are" he explained.

"As I would have suggested" Barchoke intoned with a bow. "Now it is my duty to inform you that as a head of two major wizarding families you have the right to marry two witches, one for the continuation of each family" he told the shocked teen.

"I am only almost sixteen" Harry began. "But I definitely won't take two wives" he said firmly. "Marriage is not something I will even consider until I am older and the war is over" he finished with a nod.

"Very well" Barchoke replied. "Now would you like to go over the finances or would you like me to continue as the former Lord Black had instructed, it was very profitable and there is nothing I think you will disagree with" he explained.

"Then carry on" Harry instructed. "If you don't see any need to change anything then I trust your judgement".

"Then we are finished here" the goblin declared. "I will of course keep you up to date with everything and you can contact me any time you wish" he finished with a bow.

"Thank you Barchoke" Harry said sincerely and shook the goblins hand. "Shall we go and read that letter from your cousin?" he asked Sirius.

"Best get it out of the way I guess" Sirius shrugged. "Merlin knows what that mental cow wants" he added shaking his head.

The two left the bank and disapparated to the drawing room of the house that Harry had just been left by his older companion. He felt a stab of sadness at the realisation followed by a wave of comfort, the man cared enough to give him a home and that meant more than anything else to the younger man.

He led Sirius to his room where he had left the parchment on his desk the day he had received it. He picked up the folded note and tried to open it but to no avail. He frowned and tapped it with his wand causing the seal to come loose. He unfolded it and read:

 _To Potter,_

 _I have a proposition for you that I believe will be beneficial to us both. I only ask that you meet me with an open mind and not hand me to the aurors or attack me. You have my magical vow that I will come alone and not attempt to harm you. You will get what you want and in turn I shall too. I look forward to hearing from you. Just write you reply on the back of this parchment and tap it with your wand, it will find its way back to me._

 _Kisses,_

 _Bella_

Harry frowned as the parchment glowed blue, sealing the vow she had given. He handed the note to Sirius who also frowned after reading it.

"What do you think?" Harry questioned his godfather.

"If she hadn't given a vow I would throw it in the fire" he replied still frowning. "But I guess it couldn't hurt to see what she wants, it might be worth our time" he finished shrugging.

"Then we need to plan" Harry declared. "Even if she has given a vow I don't trust her at all, let's see what we can come up with, I'm quite interested in meeting the famous Bellatrix Lestrange" he finished shaking his head at his own anticipation.

"I wouldn't be so keen" Sirius intoned. "She's not the most pleasant person and I am guessing 15 years in Azkaban did very little to improve her mental state" he added knowingly.

 _(BREAK)_

It would take two weeks for the duo to feel both comfortable and ready with the plan they had come up with to meet with the deranged woman. In that time they did something they had never done before; they trained together on a daily basis.

Harry had to admit that he was very impressed with the skill of his godfather and shared the sentiment with the man.

"You've really been training" he said to the man in disbelief at his prowess with a wand.

"Every day" Sirius replied. "Fudge might have got his head out of his arse but there still aren't enough capable aurors, so it looks like it is up to me and you for now" he said with a shrug. "The way it should have been from the start" he added placing his arm around the teen's shoulders.

"It looks like your grandfather was right" Harry responded with a grin.

"What do you mean?" Sirius questioned with a frown.

"That this war needs another Potter-Black alliance" Harry answered with a smile.

"Then we will make sure we give them everything the Potters and the Blacks have" Sirius vowed with a grin. "We will show those bastards why they shouldn't have ever messed with our families" he added.

"Our family" Harry corrected. "We are one big family now" he said with a smile.

"The way it should be" Sirius agreed returning the smile.

The two trained together putting together the skill they both possessed. The learned how to fight in tandem with one another and soon realised that they shared a style very similar and just as effective as their grandfather's before them. It warmed Harry to no end that he had his godfather to rely on and he could see the same feeling reflected in the other man's eyes. It was them against the world and neither could be happier about it.

Harry made sure that he wrote regularly to Daphne since the day of the funeral. Realising how much he truly cared for the girl had made it one of his priorities, and something he would not take for granted again. He found himself looking forward to her replies even if she just told him about the day she had or what she had planned with her family and Tracey. It gave him a semblance of normality, something he would need if he was to function in a normal society after this war was over.

He found that he did indeed miss the girl and looked forward to seeing her again. He would lie awake in bed at night writing to her and thinking of the time they had spent, and it just had not been enough; he vowed to change that in the near future.

They had decided between them that the cave in Hogsmeade that Harry had met Sirius during fourth year would be a good place to meet with Bellatrix; it was well out of the way and they were guaranteed privacy. Sirius would be there under the invisibility cloak to make ensure nothing untoward happened.

They apparated to the cave and Sirius hid beneath the cloak as Harry summoned the woman to them by replying to the note.

 _Lestrange,_

 _Use the ring your grandfather left you, I trust your sister gave it to you. It will bring you directly to me. You have my vow that I will not attack you and I have not informed anyone outside the family of this meeting. I'm waiting._

 _Potter_

He tapped the note with his wand as instructed and after a moment it disappeared in a burst of Black flames. Now all that was left to do was wait for the woman to appear to which she did less than 10 minutes later.

"Potter" She called as she appeared in the dark cave with her wand drawn.

"Put it away Lestrange" Harry commanded as he emerged from a shadowy corner, his own wand in hand.

Bellatrix complied and placed her wand up her sleeve. She raised her hands to show that she was unarmed as she stepped closer to the teen who returned the gesture by replacing his own wand in its holster.

"My, my, my" Bellatrix intoned stroking Harry's cheek who recoiled from her touch. "You have become quite the man Lord Black" she added biting her lip.

"What do you want?" Harry asked impatiently.

"What, no flirting or fun?" Bellatrix asked with a pout. "I'm sure we could have lots of fun" she whispered sultrily into his ear and ran her tongue across his lobe.

"I don't think so" Harry said pushing her away with a grimace. "You're old enough to be my mother and the years haven't exactly been kind to you" he added gesturing to her emaciated figure and gaunt looks. "Now what do you want?" he questioned her again.

"Hmph" Bellatrix frowned petulantly and folded her arms. "Fine" she said irritably. "By now I'm sure you have figured out that it was my darling husband who killed my grandfather" she stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes" Harry growled angrily.

"Well then how about I give him to you" she offered casually.

"And why would you do that?" Harry asked with a disbelieving frown.

"Call it family duty and doing us both a favour" Bellatrix replied with a shrug. "I want rid of the Neanderthal and you want your revenge and no one harms a member of my family" she huffed indignantly.

"You care about your family?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course" Bellatrix simpered. "I made my choices a long time ago but I do not take my blood for granted, I am a Black, a member of the greatest wizarding family in existence" she added sincerely.

"Even though most of them fight against your master?" Harry questioned further.

"The Dark Lord has become rather boring" Bellatrix said pacing the cave. "Believe it or not he was once very handsome and very well put together, he feared no one and I followed him proudly" she proclaimed. "But now all he does is moan about Harry Potter and how you have defied him and how he wants to kill you, it is rather boring" she finished.

"That hardly justifies a change of heart" Harry pointed out.

"It is power that attracts me Potter, not foolish ideologies and I have seen him vulnerable" she replied with a frown. "Now don't get me wrong I still despise the mudbloods but I am intelligent enough to know that our kind cannot survive with just purebloods, there isn't enough of us and you and the Dark Lord are living proof that blood does not denote power. He fears you but you don't fear him, I can see it" she continued looking the young man in the eye. "If you had come along much sooner maybe my life would have been different but I made my choices long ago and I have to stand by them" She finished firmly.

"You know he is a half-blood then?" Harry asked a little surprised.

"Of course, you don't think I would follow someone with a clearly made up name without knowing everything about him do you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "It's like I said it is power that attracts me, not blood nor beliefs" she reaffirmed.

Harry thought about everything she said and found that Arcturus had been right about her. She was indeed very intelligent but she had certainly made poor choices in life.

"What do you want in return for handing over your husband?" he asked sceptically.

"If I survive the war I want a low security cell with no dementors or other horrible creatures" she answered firmly.

"You do realise I am not an auror" Harry responded with a raised eyebrow.

"No but you will have more say than most once this is all over" Bellatrix said knowingly. "You will be able to do that at the very least" she added.

"So you think I will beat him?" Harry asked the woman.

"Oh that I have no doubt of" Bellatrix replied lustily. "He already fears you and that is half the battle won".

"Fine if I can do it then I will" Harry conceded. "But there is something else I want from you" he added.

"Anything" Bellatrix replied biting her lip again.

"I want to know of any major attacks in advance and you will not fight to kill anymore" he said with a non-compromising tone.

"You want me to spy?" she asked squinting distastefully.

"Call it family duty" Harry responded with a grin.

"Fine" Bellatrix sighed. "But I don't know about everything" she said warningly. "You can't hold it against me if I just don't know".

"I won't" he said with a shrug.

Harry suddenly frowned as a wave of magic passed over him. It was not a comforting magic but was more of a warning. It took him a moment to realise what it was and he stiffened in realisation.

"Natalie" he whispered.

"Huh?" Bellatrix asked dumbly.

"Do you know of any attacks tonight?" he asked her urgently.

"No only that Lucius has been sent to do something" she informed him shaking her head.

"Sirius we have to go" he called to his godfather. "Contact me through your sister" he instructed Bellatrix. "I will find a way so we can stay in touch" he added.

Harry grabbed his godfather's arm as he approached and the pair vanished from sight silently, leaving a very bemused Bellatrix in their wake.

 _(BREAK)_

Lucius Malfoy, along with Fenrir Greyback and a score of his own men arrived at the orphanage where the McDonald girl spent her time away from Hogwarts. It hadn't taken too much effort to find the place but they had waited until the full moon was only a day or so away to make the werewolves more feral in the attack, even werewolves were reluctant to attack children unless they had little control of themselves and the days leading up to the night of the change were perfect.

Greyback had wanted to do it on the night of the full moon but Lucius had firmly disagreed, he did not want to be killed by a group of werewolves and the Dark Lord did not trust only them to carry this out, they were nothing but mindless fools and he did not want risk it failing. So Lucius had been tasked to help them, much to his chagrin. He hated the disgusting creatures but would do as his Lord had bid.

The group approached the orphanage and casually knocked on the door. After a moment the door was opened by a squat and middle-aged muggle woman.

"Good evening Madame" Lucius drawled with a bow. "I am looking for a Natalie McDonald, I am a representative of the school she attends and I just need a few moments of her time" he explained.

The woman just frowned at him.

"The lady who came said we would only be contacted by her and she would write first" she explained. "I will therefore have to decline your request" she finished and made to close the door.

Lucius placed his foot in the doorway to stop it from closing.

"I must insist on seeing her" he said threateningly.

"For fuck sake Malfoy just move the bitch" Greyback growled and barrelled into the door knocking the woman to the ground. "Where is the McDonald girl?" he questioned angrily.

 _(BREAK)_

Natalie McDonald had not been happy since returning to the orphanage for the summer holidays. The other children had refused to speak to her, thinking that she got preferential treatment for being sent to a private school and she missed the castle and being able to do magic.

She had spent the holiday so far in her room completing her homework, something she had promised Harry that she would do as best she could. She wanted the older boy to be proud of her and she wanted to show him how much she appreciated him looking after her.

She was currently sat in her room as she spent most of her time when she heard a loud shout followed by a loud bang coming from downstairs. She shrugged and continued scratching away with her quill; this was not an uncommon occurrence in the home. There were around 20 children living here so it was rarely quiet.

She was pulled from her work again as another shout, much closer rang throughout the house.

"Where is the McDonald girl you bitch, I won't ask you again?" a very loud and animalistic voice questioned someone in fury.

Natalie stiffened in fear. Why would someone be looking for her? She panicked and jumped off her bed and rolled underneath. It was then that she remembered her necklace that Harry had given her. She removed it from her top and clutched it tightly thinking of the boy as he had told her to. She just hoped that he would come.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Sirius arrived on a street with houses lining either side. They both heard the commotion coming from the building directly in front of them and Sirius placed a firm hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Werewolves" he said knowingly sniffing the air in confirmation.

"But it's not a full moon" Harry pointed out.

"They are more resistant to magic closer to the full moon and its tomorrow" Sirius replied knowingly, living with two of them himself.

"Silver then" Harry instructed to which Sirius nodded.

The pair hurriedly began conjuring silver daggers and arrows to stab with or banish towards the werewolves.

"Let's go" Harry said.

The pair entered the house to hear screams sounding from several directions.

"Split up?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"Yeah" Harry agreed reluctantly. "But call if you need me" he added firmly.

Sirius nodded his agreement and broke off. He headed upstairs while his godson remained on the ground floor.

Harry entered the first room he came to to see two shabbily dressed men attacking a woman who could not be any older than 20. He felt his anger rise and he quickly banished two daggers into the backs of the attackers who screamed in agony as they hit the floor.

He helped the woman to her feet who had luckily only suffered a few cuts and bruises.

"Stay here" Harry commanded and exited the room before the woman could say a word, he didn't have time to waste.

He entered the next room to half a dozen of the werewolves in the company of Lucius Malfoy who blanched at the teen's entrance.

"It's Potter" he shouted in a panic.

Harry did not hesitate and began banishing his projectiles indiscriminately towards the small crowd of people dropping most of them instantly. He felt a great feeling of satisfaction watching one of the arrows embed itself in Malfoy's shoulder causing the man to scream.

"Oh I've been waiting for this Lucy" Harry growled menacingly. "Remember when you tried to use the killing curse on me in my second year?" he asked. "Maybe I should return the favour" he added, not waiting for the man to answer.

"Potter wait" Malfoy pleaded pathetically.

"Actually, that curse is too quick for someone like you" Harry said amusedly.

Before he could continue he felt something solid impact against his side that sent him crashing into the wall. Shaking away the cobwebs he saw Malfoy disappear, clearly the man had a portkey.

Harry growled and turned towards the werewolf that had crashed into him, only to see the large man already in full charge towards him. Having very little time to react Harry simply braced himself and waited for the impact and he quickly found himself on his back below a furious hulk of a man.

Harry placed a hand on the man's throat to keep him at a distance and used his free hand to reach for one of the daggers he had conjured. He pulled it from his belt and rammed it with all of his force into the man's gut feeling a warm and wet liquid spread all over his hands and torso after he had done so.

The werewolf roared in pain and Harry seized the advantage by rolling the man on his back so that he was on top now. After firming his position he began perpetually stabbing the man with the dagger every place he could reach, it did not take long for him to fall still from the wounds he had received.

He stood and realised that he was covered from head to toe in blood, he could even taste it in his mouth. He spat disgustedly and checked himself over for any wounds that he had not felt, and much to his relief, found nothing.

He was pulled from his self- checking by shouting and screaming coming from upstairs.

"Sirius" Harry shouted and ploughed his way as quickly as he could through the house following the trail of bodies that had obviously fallen victim to his godfather.

He charged up the stairs and raced across the landing where he could spot a few more bodies. He came to a door that had simply been ripped from his hinges and entered the room to see Sirius on his back with what appeared to be a half-transformed werewolf on top of him attempting to rip him to shreds.

Harry roared in fury and fired a blasting curse at the beast catching it in the back and sending it into the wall.

Sirius immediately sprung to his feet and began savagely stabbing the creature repeatedly until it moved no more.

"Greyback" he groaned hoarsely and fell to his knees.

"Sirius" Harry cried and ran forward to help the man.

"It's just a few scratches" Sirius informed him. "I'll be fine" he added reassuringly. "Where's Natalie?" he asked worriedly.

"Natalie?" Harry called. "It's safe now, it's me Harry".

Harry heard a shuffle and turned to see the young girl pulling her shaking body from beneath the bed in the room. She ran forward and flung herself into Harry who just pulled her tightly into her arms.

"You came" she sobbed into his chest.

"Always" Harry replied emotionally. "We have to get out of here" he added. "Just grab your wand, everything else can be replaced" he instructed.

"I already have it" she informed him, removing the piece of wood from her sleeve.

"Good girl" Harry praised softly. "I'm going to apparate us away, it will be a little uncomfortable" he explained.

He removed his wand and fired off a patronus before hoisting his godfather over one shoulder and pulling the girl to himself firmly, disapparating to Grimmauld Place, he needed to get help for Sirius.

 _(BREAK)_

Cornelius Fudge was sat in his office going over budgets and trying to find ways to supplement the auror force that he knew was not sufficient. It had been a long day and he had decided that he would take the work home with him and look it over in the comfort of his living room. He had just finished fastening his cloak when a large patronus entered the room and spoke in the voice of Harry Potter.

"Attack at orphanage in Whitby, several casualties and obliviation required" it spoke quickly.

Cornelius shook his head,

So much for going home" he mused. "This is what being a real minister is about I guess" he said to himself with a proud smile.

He sent out an alert to the aurors on duty and made his way to the atrium, he planned on attending with them. He wanted the people to know that he did care and that he would personally help when he could.

 _(BREAK)_

Lucius Malfoy arrived in his own drawing room in a heap and yelped in pain as he landed on the shoulder in which the arrow still protruded from. He looked around the room to see man confused faces looking in his direction.

"What happened Lucius?" Voldemort questioned the man angrily.

"Potter came, my Lord" Lucius gritted out on pain.

The Dark Lord screamed in fury.

"Everybody get out" he spat. "Get out" he roared.

The assembled Death Eaters fled the room as quickly as their legs would carry them.

Bellatrix exited the room with a grin. 'The Dark Lord really is like a spoilt child' she mused thoughtfully. 'If he didn't want Potter dead so much I would question his obsession with him' she chuckled internally. 'But then again, who would blame him?' she thought, biting her bottom lip.

She continued walking to her room humming a tune to herself.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place with Sirius draped over him and Natalie still clinging to him for dear life. After catching his bearings he found that many people were staring at him with looks of shock and horror etched on their faces; evidently they had arrived in the middle of an order meeting.

"Padfoot" Lupin shouted and sprung to his feet, quickly followed by Marlene.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"Werewolves" Harry answered simply.

"We got him Moony" Sirius cut in breathily.

"What are you talking about Padfoot?" Remus asked in confusion.

"Greyback" Sirius replied. "We got him for you, he's dead".

Remus pulled the man from his godsons shoulder and cradled him like a child. He began to weep as he hugged the man tightly.

"Thank you" he said throatily. "Thank you" he repeated gratefully.

"Are you ok?" Marlene asked him clearly concerned.

"It's just a few scratches" Sirius said dismissively.

"Well we had better get you cleaned up" Marlene said with a frown. "You too Potter you're covered in blood".

"It's not mine" Harry said and began cleaning the now congealing blood off of him with his wand.

"And what made you two think it was a good idea to get into a fight with werewolves" she asked firmly with a raised eyebrow.

"They came to save me" Natalie piped up quietly.

Marlene turned to look at the girl in surprise; clearly she had not noticed her presence as yet.

"And who might you be young lady?" Marlene asked.

"I'm Natalie McDonald" the young girl replied shyly.

"Ahh the one who calls him princess" she nodded jerking a thumb towards her fiancé. "He told me all about you".

"That was supposed to be a secret" Sirius whined still in his friends arms.

"Shut up Princess" Marlene retorted causing Natalie to giggle at the pout that appeared on Sirius's face. "Now how about we get you some hot chocolate while Harry and Princess get themselves cleaned up" she suggested.

Natalie looked at Harry nervously.

"It's ok" Harry assured her. "Marlene will look after you".

"Thank you" the girl said shyly to the older woman who took her hand and led her to the stove.

"Will someone heal my wounds now?" Sirius asked irritably.

"Shut up Princess" Harry mumbled and set to work on his godfather with the help of Remus.

Between the two of them it did not take long to close the wounds and administer a few potions to the grumbling marauder.

"I'll be as scarred as Moody" Sirius complained when they were finished. "Sorry Mad-eye" he added seeing the frown the gnarled man was giving him.

"They will heal fine" Remus informed him shaking his head. "You'll just need to find someone willing to put the ointment on for the next few days".

Sirius looked hopefully at Marlene who raised an eyebrow at him.

"It will be a cold day in hell before you have me smearing cream on your bum Sirius Black" She told him.

"I don't have any wounds on my bum" the man huffed indignantly. "And it would be an honour for anyone to be given such an opportunity to touch my perfectly formed buttocks" he added haughtily.

"There is a child present you mutt" Marlene chided him. "She does not need to hear the filth that comes from you" she added sternly.

"Yes dear" a cowed Sirius replied.

"Someone must have told him about Natalie" Harry suddenly said angrily.

He looked around the room and noticed there was one obvious absence.

"Where is Snape?" he asked the group.

"That is why we are meeting" Dumbledore replied sadly. "Severus has not been seen or heard from in several weeks now" he informed the younger man.

"Then he is either a traitor or he is dead" Harry said with a shrug.

"I believe that he is dead" Dumbledore responded. "He would not turn his back on us" he added knowingly.

"How can you be sure?" Tonks asked.

"Severus has his reasons" Dumbledore returned firmly.

"It doesn't matter" Harry cut in casually.

"Harry, Severus was a vital part of the order" Dumbledore said seriously.

"I have my own eyes and ears on Tom that funnily enough I trust more than I ever would Snape" he intoned with a frown at his own thoughts. "He was always a bastard to me and always would have been, I'm not sorry that he is gone" he finished shrugging again.

"You have your own spy?" Remus asked disbelievingly.

"I do" Harry answered simply. "If anything comes up that I think you need to be aware of then I will pass it on" he informed the group.

"That would be appreciated" Dumbledore said gratefully with a bow, purposely not asking Harry to reveal his source. He trusted the young man's judgement and would not question it. "What are you going to do about Miss McDonald?" Dumbledore asked.

"I haven't thought that far" Harry said sheepishly.

"She can stay here" Marlene cut in. "You and Sirius are too busy with training and whatever else it is you get up to, it would be nice to have some company" she explained.

"Is that ok with you Natalie?" Harry asked. "Would you like to stay with Marlene and Sirius? They can look after you properly, better than I can" he added a little sadly.

He knew it was what was best for the young girl. His life was not exactly stable enough for him to be looking after an eleven year old full time.

"Only if you promise to visit me lots" Natalie replied. "And you still look after me like you said you would" she said hugging the older boy.

"I promise" Harry responded a little emotionally as he pulled her into a hug.

"Then its ok with me" Natalie agreed with the older woman who smiled at her.

"Then let us find you a bedroom and we will have to take you shopping too" Marlene frowned as she led the girl from the room.

"Harry?" a timid voice questioned him from the doorway.

Harry turned to see a brown blur launch towards him and he barely managed to catch the excited girl in his arms.

"Hello Hermione" he greeted his friend with a soft smile. "What are you doing here?" he asked in confusion.

"My parents are working in South America so Professor Dumbledore suggested I stayed here" Hermione answered. "I'm really sorry about Mr Black" she added sincerely.

"It's ok Hermione, I'm starting to accept the fact he's gone now" Harry replied a little unconvincingly.

"Why don't you and Miss Granger catch up" Dumbledore suggested. "We will be wrapping up here soon".

Harry nodded gratefully and allowed Hermione to lead him up the stairs to the room she was staying in. He sat on the bed next to his friend and pulled her into a hug.

"How are things?" he asked her.

"Not good really" Hermione responded sadly. "We got our OWL results today and Ron did really badly" she explained.

"How badly?" Harry questioned her with a frown.

"He only passed three of them and barely" she said shaking her head.

"So he didn't knuckle down and study" Harry stated. "That is his own fault" he pointed out.

"I know but I can't help but feel sorry for him" Hermione replied sadly.

The pair was interrupted by a knock on the door. Fred and George entered at Hermione's acknowledgement and froze briefly at the sight of Harry.

"Well if it isn't the Lord Potter and the Lord Black" Fred said with an elaborate bow.

"And what brings a fine man of such breeding to the company of us lowly peasants?" George added with a bow of his own grinning stupidly.

"Hello Fred, George" Harry greeted the pair with a shake of his head.

"Have you come to congratulate our fair lady here on her exemplary exam results?" Fred asked.

"I didn't know the results were coming today" Harry said truthfully. "How did you?" Harry asked his friend.

"Well she only went and got all O's of course" George answered for her.

"I got one E" Hermione pointed out with a scowl. "Defence against the Dark arts" she explained to a shocked Harry. "We didn't get enough practice it seems" she added with a deeper scowl.

"You still did very well" Harry praised and hugged her again. "You should be proud".

"What about you Harry?" Hermione questioned him. "What are you going to do without OWLS or NEWTS?".

"What does a man of such wealth need with exam results?" Fred asked haughtily.

"He has more gold than the ministry of magic, one does not need exams" George added with another elaborate bow.

"That is true" Harry mused with a grin noticing the offended look he was getting from his friend.

"Surely you don't mean that Harry?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"No Hermione" Harry appeased the girl chuckling. "I already did my OWLS" he informed her.

"When?" the girl asked disbelievingly.

"In January" Harry replied with a shrug.

"And?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"And what?" Harry returned with a grin.

"How did you do you prat?" Hermione asked impatiently, swatting the boy on the arm.

"I did fine" Harry answered with another grin.

"How did you do exactly?" Hermione asked irritably standing and placing her hands on her hips.

"Ok, ok" Harry conceded with a shake of his head. "Elgar" he called.

The elf appeared and looked at Harry expectantly.

"Could you please fetch my OWL results?" he requested of the elf who simply bowed and vanished.

"How many elves do you have?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"They need our magic to survive Hermione" Harry pointed out. "They die if they do not find a wizard to serve" he added in explanation.

"I didn't know that" Hermione whispered.

"Now you do" Harry said with a shrug.

Elgar popped back into the room and handed Harry the thick envelope he had received months before. He handed it to Hermione who began to read.

 _To Lord Harry James Potter,_

 _Please find enclosed the results of you Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. You should be very proud of your achievements and it was a pleasure for both Professor Tofty and I to administer the tests for you._

 _Warmest regards,_

 _Griselda Marchbanks_

 _Head of the examination board._

 _Grades available_

 _O= Outstanding_

 _E= Exceeds Expectations_

 _A= Acceptable_

 _P= Poor_

 _D= Dreadful_

 _T= Troll_

 _Please note that a + symbol after a letter indicates that extra credit has been awarded for the subject. The ++ symbols indicate that an additional OWL has been given._

 _Examination results for Harry James Potter:_

 _Ancient Runes - O+_

 _Arithmancy - O_

 _Astronomy - O_

 _Care of Magical Creatures – O+_

 _Charms – O++_

 _Defence Against the Dark Arts – O++ (Please see additional notes)_

 _Duelling – O++ (Please see additional notes)_

 _Herbology – O_

 _History of Magic – O_

 _Potions – O_

 _Transfiguration – O++_

 _You have achieved a total of 15 OWLS at a grade of Outstanding._

 _Additional notes_

 _After much discussing between me and Professor Tofty we have unanimously decided that the magic you have demonstrated is way beyond that of school level ability. Therefore we have agreed that if you complete the theory work of your NEWT level education then we will be happy to award you your NEWTS also. Based on your practical ability we are expecting you to achieve similar grades to the ones shown above._

 _In addition to this we have discussed two of your grades in particular with Alastor Moody; Defence Against the Dark Arts and Duelling. We all agree that you are particularly beyond the level of both OWL and NEWT in these subjects and offer you the chance to obtain a mastery in both, supervised by Alastor who has agreed to supervise the theory work, having personally vouched for you duelling ability and skill in Defence Against the Dark Arts._

 _Please contact Alastor Moody when it is convenient for yourself and he will explain the process to you. I look forward to meeting you again._

 _Griselda Marchbanks._

Hermione just looked at her friend in awe.

"Well?" George asked impatiently.

Hermione unconsciously passed the parchment to the redhead and continued to stare at Harry.

One of the twins let out a low whistle of appreciation.

"15 Owls at outstanding" Fred said in disbelief. "How the hell did you manage it?" he asked.

"Arcturus showed me how well both my parents and grandparents did" Harry said sadly. "I didn't want to disappoint them so I worked really hard" he explained.

"They would be very proud of you Harry" Hermione said quietly. "And you should be proud of yourself" she added with a smile.

"Thank you Hermione" Harry said sincerely.

There was another knock on the door and Bill Weasley entered looking a little nervous.

"Could I have a word with you Harry?" he asked the teen quietly.

Harry nodded and followed the man from the room.

"I just wanted to thank you" Bill said running his hand through his long red hair. "For dealing with Nott, the twins told me he was one of them that attacked the Burrow" he explained.

"Yeah he was one of them" Harry replied. "And I'm sorry for your losses Bill, they meant a lot to me to" he added sincerely.

Bill smiled at the younger man.

"It has taken a long time to start dealing" he admitted. "Until I got the letter from the twins I thought it was a mistake I made with the wards that killed them".

"No" Harry said firmly. "The wards were fine".

Bill just nodded.

"Do you know who else was involved?" he asked.

"Rowle and Rookwood" Harry answered without hesitation.

Bill growled angrily.

"I'll get those bastards" he vowed.

"I would do exactly the same" Harry replied with a nod. "If you need any help I'm here for whatever you need" Harry informed the man genuinely.

"Thank you Harry, I really appreciate it" Bill responded offering his hand which Harry took.

"Any time" Harry returned.

Bill smiled at the younger man and left.

Harry entered Hermione's room again and was stopped in his tracks as the Potter family ring glowed a deep gold and sent a warm wave of magic through him.

"Harry, are you ok?" Hermione asked frantically seeing her friend pause suddenly.

"I'm fine" Harry answered with a smile. "Actually I'm better than fine" he added. "What is the date?" he asked confusedly.

"It's just gone midnight so… oh Harry it's your birthday" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry smiled, Arcturus had been right. His Potter ring now recognised him as being of age. He smiled at the new knowledge the ring had given him.

 _Potter Manor can be found 10 miles west of the most southern point of Mount Snowden, Wales._

 **A/N**

 **Another shorter one but it feels right ending it here. I've been asked a few times now if Harry will have two wives because he is now the head of two families and the answer is NO. It is not realistic to me so I won't be doing that with this story, it just does not suit the characters I have created. Thank you and follow, favourite and review as always guys.**

 **TBS**


	16. Homecoming and going

Chapter 16: Homecoming and going

Lord Voldemort was in a towering rage. It had been several hours since Lucius had returned injured and there was no sign of Greyback and his fellow werewolves. The Dark Lord had concluded that they had been killed by Potter and that did not sit well with the man. The remaining werewolves would be very reluctant to continue serving him; it may take a firm hand to keep them in line.

He had given Lucius the courtesy of checking his wound to ensure that it was not a curse wound and luckily for the man, it was not. He will be punished for his cowardice of course, that was a certainty. He himself could not confront the boy yet, he needed that damned prophecy, something he had already formulated a plan to obtain. Lord Voldemort knew he needed a show of strength, he could not allow Potter to keep thwarting him the way he was and he had just the thing for it.

He smirked evilly at his plan. Not only would it show Potter that he would not just sit back and allow the liberties the boy was taking, it would certainly test him. He smirked again and set to work to put his plan in motion.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore left the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix in a saddened state. Severus was not the most pleasant of men but he had been loyal to him for many years, well, loyal to the memory of Lily Potter, a loyalty he had neglected to bestow upon her only son.

He arrived in his office and sat behind his desk absentmindedly stroking the plumage of his faithful friend.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"If only you would have treated Harry better, he would have moved mountains to help you my friend" he said to himself. "He is not his father, not in any way" he added thoughtfully.

Albus would mourn for his friend, assuming that he was of course dead, something he had very little doubt of, but he would have to continue the way he had when he lost his friend Hagrid. Thoughts of the half-giant still tugged painfully at his heart, a death he would never fully get over, similar to that of his sister Arianna.

"Horace" he suddenly said shooting to his feet and startling the orange creature. "Perhaps he can be convinced to come out of retirement and teach in the safety of the castle" he mused.

Fawkes trilled in agreement.

(BREAK)

Harry left Grimmauld Place feeling nervous, a feeling he had not felt for quite some time. He was torn. He did not know if he should go straight to Potter Manor or wait for a while and let everything sink in properly. He paced the pavement outside the Black house thinking furiously. More than anything he wanted to go but he did not want to be disappointed. He didn't know what condition the house would be in and he just did not know what to expect. He had high expectations of his family home having seen it in the pensieve but he did not know if he had simply been caught up in the moment and in reality it would not live up to the expectations he had.

He made his mind up.

He would have to face it sooner or later and he would rather deal with it now than have thoughts that may distract him when he needed to be focused on Riddle. He steeled himself and disapparated away from the London street.

He appeared in front of some very tall wrought iron gates with the Potter crest depicted proudly in the centre. The first thing he noticed about the area he was in was how thick and fresh the air was. He turned away from the gates to find himself facing a large expanse of land that he knew in the daylight would be lush and green. In the distance he could see a thick gathering of trees that stretched right across the skyline, clearly the Potters liked their privacy, there was no sign of any other dwelling in sight.

He turned back towards the gate and placed his hand on the family crest, his Potter ring glowing gold as the gate allowed him entrance. As he stepped across the threshold of the property there was a gentle pop and he was faced by a very stern looking house-elf.

"Whos be you?" the elf asked firmly.

Harry's heart jumped in recognition of the creature standing before him.

"You must be Maisie" he said to the elf with a warm smile. "I'm Harry Potter" he added in introduction.

The elf frowned and looked at him critically.

"Maisie does not know a Harry Potter" the elf replied. "She knows Master James and Mistress Lily Potter but not Harry" she added still frowning.

"Master James and Mistress Lily were my Mother and Father" Harry explained sadly.

"Yous be the baby they hid to protect" Maisie exclaimed in realisation. "But you is a man now" she said clearly confused.

"Today is my sixteenth birthday" Harry informed her.

"But where be master James and Mistress Lily, Maisie has not seen them seen you were in Mistress Lily's tummy?" Maisie asked.

"They were killed by the man they hid me from" Harry explained.

The elf sunk to the floor and began to sob.

"That's not being fair" she wailed.

Harry kneeled down and placed an arm around the distraught elf.

"No it isn't fair" he agreed in a whisper. "But I will get the man who got them" he vowed to the creature.

The elf looked up at him in awe, her eyes still shining with tears.

"Yous has very strong magic, like master Charlus" she whispered. "Maisie can feels the Potter magic in you and the magics of the Blacks like Mistress Dorea" she added. "Yous must be their bloods to have both magics" she said firmly.

Harry held up his hands to show the family rings that he possessed.

"I am Lord Potter and Lord Black now" he told her sadly.

"Wow" the elf intoned in disbelief. "Then yous be a very important wizard Lord Potter sir" the elf proclaimed getting to her feet and bowing. "Maisie would be honoured to serves you".

"It's ok Maisie just call me master Harry the same way you did my grandfather and father" he requested.

"Maisie can do that master Harry" the elf said attempting a smile that was clearly strained.

"You don't have to pretend to be happy Maisie" Harry said seeing the effort the elf was going to. "It's ok to be sad".

"Maisie is sad that Master James and Mistress Lily is gone" the elf admitted shyly.

"It makes me sad too" Harry replied unashamedly. "How about you show me around?" Harry asked hoping to distract her from the mood that had set in.

"Maisie can do that Master Harry" the elf agreed with a nod and turned to lead him to the house.

Harry looked up to view his family home for the first time from the outside. It was simply beautiful. It was an old stone building with thick oak beams surrounded by a more modern plaster on the top half of the property. The bottom half was weathered stone that was clearly well maintained and the windows were oak-framed and very thick. There were well kept bushes interspersed sporadically throughout the grounds and in the distance he could see there were stables and other buildings where livestock was kept and cared for.

Maisie led Harry to the very thick oak front door embossed with the Potter crest. She placed her hand on the crest causing the door to open and giving Harry his first look inside.

It was decorated very similarly to how he had seen it in the pensieve. The opulent oak furniture was still here as was the staircase with the gold banisters snaking the length of them.

"Wow" Harry said in awe. It was much better being here in person than in someone's memory. "You've done very well to maintain it" he said to elf who began to blush.

"Maisie does try Master Harry" the elf replied shyly. "Would you likes Maisie to show yous around?" she asked excitedly.

Harry nodded at the elf who took his hand and began pulling him to show him the rooms on the ground floor.

"This" she said as they entered a room, "is the main parlour wheres guests are shown to" she explained.

The room was decorated similarly to that of the entrance hall but felt a little more homely.

"And this" she said pulling him through the room and into the next, "is the gathering room wheres we host parties and balls" she explained.

Harry found himself in a very large hall with a huge golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was largely empty but the floor was shiny and obviously cleaned regularly.

The tour continued with Maisie showing Harry the kitchens, other parlours and a potions area. She finally led him to a staircase that led downwards underground.

"This room is the training room" she informed him leading him down the stairs. "Master Charlus spent lots of time here" she explained clicking her fingers causing the room to fill with light.

Harry thought his training room was well equipped, it was nothing compared to this. The room ran through the entirety of the ground floor and was full of various pieces of gym equipment and areas to practice spell work. He knew he and Sirius would be spending much time down here. He noted that there was a bookshelf in one corner of the room, something he would look at a later time.

"Could you show me the upstairs please Maisie?" Harry asked.

"Of course Master Harry" the elf responded with a smile.

The elf led him back through the house and to the staircase in the entrance hall. She didn't have to half drag him up the stairs as he ran ahead of her seeking one room in particular and he found it instantly. He opened the door to find the room looking exactly the same as it had in Arcturus memory.

He approached the bed that his old friend had recovered in when he had been injured by Grindelwald and placed his hand on the pillow lovingly.

"I made it here" he whispered.

"Did yous know the Lord Black?" Maisie asked him.

Harry nodded.

"He was a very good friend" Harry answered quietly. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him".

"He was a naughty man" Maisie declared placing her hands on her hips. "He wouldn't take his potion" she huffed clearly still annoyed by Arcturus.

Harry chuckled.

"He was the best man I've ever known but you're right, he was a pain" he said chuckling again. "Are there only bedrooms up here?" he asked.

"No Master Harry theres is lots of bedrooms but theres is also the office and the library" Maisie explained.

Harry nodded.

"Ok lead the way" he instructed.

The exited the room and made their way around the long circular hallway and paused a thick highly polished door.

"This is the office Master Harry but Maisie hasn't been able to get in to it and cleans it" she said sadly.

Harry placed his hand on the handle and felt a sharp pain. He immediately pulled away and looked at his hand to see a cut slowly healing.

"Blood ward" he mumbled with a frown.

The door opened and the pair stepped inside. There were lots of books adorning the shelves that were on the wall. There was little else in the room except for a desk and a comfortable chair. There was a thick layer of dust coating the entirety of the room, clearly it had not been used for many years.

Harry approached one of the shelves and removed one of the large tomes from it. He blew the dust off of the cover and wiped away what did not come away with his hand.

 _Punishing the enemy: Torture and Taunting_

The book had no indication of an author and he found that the entirety of it was hand written as he opened it. He read a description of a curse and found himself sickened by it. The picture was of a wizard pointing his wand at a man and peeling strips of flesh from him.

"Carnis Cortices" he mumbled shaking his head.

Clearly the book was full of very dark magic and he doubted the other books in this room were very friendly. Clearly his grandfather took his defence very seriously. He knew he was not a man who would use these types of curses, not to torture someone for fun. This room would be useful, he would be able to study these books, as distasteful as they were, and have a much better defence for particular types of curses. He could see the book had hand written notes in them labelled as shields and counter-curses.

He placed the book back on the shelf. This room would certainly come in handy and maybe he could even learn some new spells from here. This was war after all. But he would not torture any man for no reason. That went firmly against his own morals and he knew he would be insulting the memory of his ancestors if he was to do such a thing. He was by no means a light wizard but he certainly was not dark either.

"You can clean in here when you want to Maisie but just be careful, these books aren't very nice" he explained to the elf. "Shall we go to the library?" he asked.

"Maisie will take yous there now Master Harry" the elf replied.

Maisie took the lead once more and lead Harry to a large set of double doors much like the front doors of the house. She pushed them open to reveal a library that completely staggered Harry. It was huge and there was shelf upon shelf of books.

"There must be thousands of books here" he said in complete awe.

"Theres is Master Harry" Maisie said with a nod. "Many, many books" she added.

Harry began making his way through the room in a trance at the amount of knowledge it must contain. He could see the sections were labelled clearly by subject and category. He stood in the middle of the room and just took it all in, it was simply magnificent.

"Hello there young man" a voice cut in pulling him from his stupor.

Harry turned towards where the voice had come from and his heart jumped into his throat.

"Now, you're not my son James, so who are you?" the voice of Dorea Potter asked,

Harry stood facing a large portrait of his grandparents both looking at him with curiosity. The painting must have been done not long after they had gotten married because both occupants looked very youthful still. His grandmother was as beautiful as he remembered her and his grandfather looked very alert and as well built as Harry remembered.

He swallowed and composed himself before answering.

"I'm Harry" he said to the portrait.

"It never is" Dorea exclaimed. "But you are a grown man, how old are you?" she asked with a frown.

"It is my sixteenth birthday today" Harry answered a little hurt that his grandmother didn't believe it was him.

"Early maturity" Charlus cut in proudly. "Take after you grandfather" he added with a grin.

"It's been said a lot" Harry responded.

"Come closer" Dorea requested. "Let me get a better look at you".

Harry obliged and stepped closer to the portrait.

Dorea looked at him critically, putting every last detail under scrutiny. Her eyebrows shot up as her eyes met his.

"It is you" she whispered. "You have her eyes but you look like a Black" she said in awe. "And why has it taken you sixteen years to visit your grandparents?" she asked sternly with a frown.

"This is the first time I've been in this house" Harry explained.

"And why is that?" Charlus asked firmly, clearly not happy about it. "Why would James not bring here?" he added.

"My parents were killed when I was just over a year old" Harry revealed barely above a whisper.

Dorea's hand shot to her mouth in shock and Charlus simply looked murderous.

"How?" he growled out his eyes ablaze in fury.

"Voldemort" Harry answered shaking his head.

"The Pettigrew boy sold them out" Charlus stated angrily.

Harry just nodded.

"Well why didn't Sirius bring you?" Dorea asked her eyes full of tears.

"Everyone thought he was their secret keeper he was in Azkaban for 12 years and was only recently declared innocent" Harry explained.

"Bastards" Charlus spat.

"Who raised you?" Dorea questioned with a frown.

"My Mums sister and her husband" Harry replied bitterly.

"You were raised by muggles?" Charlus asked in outrage.

"I didn't know I was a wizard until I got my Hogwarts letter" Harry said with a shrug.

Charlus growled in irritation.

"Is that the Black family ring?" Dorea cut in.

"I'm the head of the Potters and the Blacks" Harry told them showing them both rings.

"Are both Arcturus and Sirius dead then?" she asked sadly.

"Arcturus is" Harry replied. "Sirius is still alive but didn't want it, he can't have children and he's marrying a werewolf" he added with a shrug.

"I always knew that boy was a bit fruity" Charlus declared. "He and that Lupin boy I take it?".

"No" Harry said firmly. "He's marrying a woman".

"How did Arcturus die?" Dorea questioned.

"Rudolphus Lestrange" Harry spat. "Cursed him in the back when I was fighting Voldemort" he explained.

"That madman is still around?" Charlus asked. "I thought Dumbledore was dealing with him" he said shaking his head.

"He tried to kill me the night he got my parents but the curse backfired and got him instead, but he has things that kept him alive" Harry explained.

"You were hit by the killing curse and lived?" Dorea asked in shock.

"Twice" Harry mumbled bitterly.

"It seems you have some explaining to do young man" Dorea intoned firmly with a frown.

Harry sighed and nodded his head.

"I guess I should start at the beginning" he suggested.

Both Charlus and Dorea just nodded their agreement and waited for Harry to explain everything.

Harry explained his life in its entirety to his grandparents who exhibited a maelstrom of emotions from sadness, anger, pride and gratitude.

He told them all about life with the Dursley's and his years at Hogwarts. He told them about his encounters with Voldemort, Dementors and even the chamber of secrets and all about the tournament. He told them about what happened in the graveyard and how Arcturus had saved him, taught him all about his family and gave him the spell books so he could learn to fight. He went on to tell them about the last year of his life and all the things he had done; the killing, the duels and fighting Voldemort. When he was finished he was breathless and his mouth was dry. His grandparents just looked at him with pride shining in their eyes.

"That's not a life you should ever have had" Charlus said sadly. "What the hell was that idiot Dumbledore thinking?" he asked with a frown.

"I've spoken to him about everything and he did what he thought was best" Harry explained. "I don't think he ever did anything to put me in danger but we all make mistakes, he's trying to make up for them now" he added.

"If I was still there I'd still curse that old fool" his grandfather replied with a growl.

"You just hate the man because of the whole Grindelwald thing" Dorea cut in in a frustrated tone.

"I hate him because he's a git" Charlus retorted petulantly.

"Let it go Charlus, this isn't about you and him anymore this is about our grandson, who you should be very proud of" she said firmly.

"I couldn't be any prouder of the boy" Charlus declared. "He killed a basilisk for merlin sake at 12 years old and he could cast a patronus a year later, I couldn't do it until I was 19" he announced with a frown. "I'm more pissed that no one cared for him" he finished shaking his head.

"Not until Arcturus" Harry cut in. "He saved my life and made me who I am now, I was pathetic before I met him" he added disappointedly.

"No Harry, you weren't pathetic" Dorea piped up. "You were unprepared and un-nurtured, but not pathetic, you achieved quite some feats even before my brother came along" she praised.

"And despite everything you faced and went through you still stand here" Charlus said shaking his head in disbelief. "You are a Potter through and through my boy" he added proudly. "I knew I could always rely on Arcturus" he finished with a grateful nod at the thought of the man.

"He was a great man" Harry agreed. "But a surly git" he added with a grin. "But without him I wouldn't be who I am now".

Charlus chuckled at the description of his friend.

A comfortable silence fell between the three and it was then that Harry noticed Maisie was still there and looking up at him again with both awe and sadness.

"Maisie, are you ok?" Harry asked the elf worriedly.

"Maisie is ok Master Harry, Maisie knews yous is a strong wizard, but Maisie is sad that she didn't gets to look after yous like I should" she replied sadly.

"Well you can look after me now if you want to" Harry said placing his arm around her. "I can't be trusted apparently" he added with a grin and frown.

"Yous will not be making messes in this house Master Harry" the elf said firmly.

"I would do no so thing" Harry declared with a grin and a wink causing the little elf to blush again.

"Maisie can already see yous is one to watch" she responded with a shake of the head.

Dorea watched how gentle and kind Harry could be. She could see that he could be ferocious and ruthless in a heartbeat, just like her husband, but it was this soft side that she had fallen in love with with Charlus and Harry was just like him, through and through.

"I can't even pretend to understand what you have gone through Harry but both of our families couldn't ask for a better man than you to lead them" Dorea said sincerely.

"Thank you" Harry replied emotionally.

Being praised by his grandparents meant everything to the young man. Knowing he was honouring them and their memories was more satisfying than he could ever have imagined.

"So what are you going to do now?" Charlus asked him.

"I'm going to kill the bastard for everything he has put me through or I'll die trying" Harry vowed seriously his eyes flashing dangerously.

"I wouldn't expect anything less" Charlus said nodding in agreement. "But do not forget to live Harry" he added. "Do you have a special young lady in your life?" he questioned with a grin.

Harry flushed a little at the question but nodded.

"Daphne" he answered. "There's just something about her" he shrugged and shook his head.

"Hmm, I know that feeling" Charlus said looking towards his wife. "You don't know what it is you feel but it is warm and comfortable" he stated. "You think about her all the time and you just want any excuse just to see her" he added knowingly.

Harry nodded. The man was spot on with his assumptions.

"Hold on to it" Charlus advised seriously. "It will be the most important thing to you one day when you finally realise what it is you're feeling" he said firmly. "It only happens once in a lifetime, cherish it and protect it with everything you have".

"I will" Harry promised.

"And Harry?" his grandfather questioned. "You never need an excuse to see her, if she feels the same she will want you there".

Harry smiled and nodded. He had an excuse to go tomorrow to tell her about Natalie and the attack at the orphanage. Now it seemed he didn't need one.

"Are we going to be seeing more of you?" Dorea asked.

"I will be around, me and Sirius" he responded. "The training room here is better than the one at my house" he explained.

"Make sure you look at the books in there" Charlus advised. "There are some very useful spells that aren't in the books you have and very few alive will know of".

"I will" Harry replied.

"Good" Charlus said with a nod. "Now it is very late, you should get some sleep but do make sure you come and visit us often" he added firmly.

"I will come all the time" Harry replied sincerely.

Both of his grandparents smiled at him.

"Goodnight Harry" Dorea bade him farewell.

"Goodnight" Harry returned giving the portrait a warm smile.

He left the library accompanied by Maisie who led him to the large master bedroom. Yous be sleeping here master Harry and Maisie will has breakfast ready for yous when yous awake" the elf instructed.

"Thank you" Harry said gratefully to the elf. "Goodnight Maisie".

"Goodnight Master Harry" Maisie replied as she closed the door.

Harry was happy. He had not been disappointed by coming here and it definitely lived up to his expectations and even beyond them in some cases. He undressed and got himself into bed. It was not long after his head hit the pillow that he fell into a deep and comfortable sleep.

 _(BREAK)_

He awoke the next morning feeling very refreshed and relaxed. The only moment of discomfort he felt was when he realised how comfortable he actually felt here despite this being his first time in the house. That moment passed quickly however and he smiled. Arcturus had given him his first true home and now he had another, one that he truly belonged to.

He found that his clothes had been washed and dried for him over night by Maisie and that she had folded them neatly on the chair that was next to the bed. He shook his head at the thought of the elf that he was quickly becoming fond of.

He got dressed and made his way down to the kitchen to get breakfast where he was told firmly by Maisie to take a seat at the table and wait. Harry willingly obliged and waited for the elf to bring him some food which she did shortly after he had sat down.

"Yous will not be putting your elbows on the table" Maisie reprimanded him, hitting his arms with a wooden spoon sharply. "Yous be just like Master James and Charlus likes that" she added shaking her head.

Harry frowned and rubbed where the elf had struck him but couldn't help the smile that formed at the comparison between himself and the other male members of his family.

"Here yous go Master Harry, some porridge and some fruits for you" the elf declared placing a large bowl of food in front of him.

"Thank you Maisie" Harry said gratefully and immediately began tucking in.

"Do we have any animals here?" he asked between mouthfuls. "I saw the stables and just wondered" he added with a shrug.

"We's be having a herd of Thestrals and some Griffins" Maisie informed him. "Master Charlus wanted a dragon but Mistress Dorea would nots allow it" she added sounding grateful at that.

Harry smiled at that. That is what Arcturus mean when he said about his grandfather bringing home animals.

"Wow" Harry replied. "I've never seen either of those, aren't Griffins really rare?" he asked with a frown.

"They is being very rare Master Harry, Master Charlus rescued some from being killed in Greece and boughts them home, we has 7 of them now, they guards the property" she explained.

"I'd like to meet them after breakfast" he said excitedly.

"Theys is being very grumpy and dangerous Master Harry" the elf told him worriedly. "Theys only ever liked Master Charlus".

"Maybe just the Thestrals then" Harry replied. He wasn't keen on facing angry Griffins today.

"The Thestrals is also dangerous if yous upset them" Maisie pointed out. "Theys was Mistress Dorea's" she informed him.

"I don't plan on upsetting them, I just want to see one for real, my patronus is a Thestral" he explained to the wide-eyed elf.

"Cans Maisie see?" she asked.

Harry nodded and removed his wand.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he muttered causing his Thestral to erupt from the end of his wand.

"Thats being Druella" the elf said in shock.

"Who?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Druella is being the granddaughter of Jaxx" Maisie explained. "Theys is Thestrals we has here, Mistress Dorea's Patronus was Jaxx" she elaborated.

Harry smiled at that.

"Then I can't wait to meet them" he said sincerely.

"Maisie will takes you when yous finished eating" she responded firmly.

Harry quickly finished his breakfast and waited for Maisie to lead him to where the Thestrals were kept. She took him to the stables and entered a large pantry, exiting with what seemed to be a large bucket of beef cutlets.

"We's has to be giving them breakfast too" she explained.

Harry nodded and gestured for her to lead the way.

He followed her to a large area of trees where she placed the bucket on the floor and began whistling loudly. After a few minutes Harry got his first glimpse of a Thestral and his breath was taken away by the beauty of the creature.

It stood around half a foot taller than him and was as black as the night sky. It had an almost smoky appearance about but the thing that stood out above all else was the bright, blood-red eyes.

The beast was followed by several others as it approached and waited to receive its food. Without hesitation Harry picked up the bucket and walked slowly towards them so not to startle the herd.

"Yous be careful Master Harry" Maisie whispered worriedly.

Harry gave her a reassuring smile and proceeded.

He paused around 6 feet away from the group, removed a piece of meat from the bucket and held it at arms-length in front of him. The Thestral leading the group eyed him critically but stepped forward after a moment and gently took the meat from his hand and began to eat.

Harry smiled; the creatures really were something to marvel at.

The rest of the herd followed the lead of the first and were all eating shortly after. Harry just watched in a comfortable silence enjoying being around the animals. He never realised how much he truly loved animals but now he knew he would be doing this as regularly as possible.

He was about to turn to leave the herd to finish their breakfast when one of the larger Thestrals approached him and sniffed him curiously.

Harry smiled as he recognised his patronus in true form.

"You must be Druella" he whispered to the creature.

The Thestral snorted deeply and began pawing the ground in front of him. Harry reached up carefully and stroked her head gently. The Thestral melted into his touch and began rubbing her head in his hand affectionately.

"You have no idea how many times you have saved me" he informed the animal with a soft smile. "Do you want to meet the you that protects me?" he asked.

The Thestral snorted again in what Harry assumed was a yes.

He carefully removed his wand from its holster and cast his patronus in a whisper.

The two Thestrals looked at each other critically for a moment before the real Druella approached the patronus and began nuzzling it gently. Harry eventually let the patronus fade and Druella approached him and nuzzled him before sitting down on the ground with her wings spread.

"She be wanting you to ride her" Maisie said in disbelief.

"Is that what you want girl?" Harry asked the Thestral with a smile to which the creature just snorted.

"Yous be careful Master Harry" Maisie said firmly. "Theys is still dangerous".

Harry wasn't paying attention the elf and instead carefully climbed on the Thestral's back, ensuring that both he and the animal were comfortable.

"Let's go girl" Harry said when he was ready.

The creature immediately stood and began galloping out on to the large field at full speed. Harry, not having expected this had to readjust himself accordingly, something he did in the nick of time. The Thestral beat its powerful wings and launched the pair into the air and began flying around the field in large circles.

Harry found the feeling nothing short of exhilarating and he was enjoying every moment of the flight. All too soon the Thestral began swooping lower and lower and eventually landed in front of the trees. She then trotted gently back to join the herd and Harry removed himself from her back she they arrived.

"That was incredible" he said gently to the creature. "Thank you" he added giving her another piece of meat. "I'll be back lots to see you" he promised stroking her head once more.

He turned to see a very worried looking Maisie frowning at him with her hands on her hips.

"Yous is very reckless Master Harry" she scolded the teen.

"It was fun" Harry replied "I rode a Hippogriff when I was 13" he explained.

"If yous be hurting yourself Maisie won't be looking after yous" the elf said firmly.

Harry just shrugged in response.

"Shall we head back in? I need to shower and wash the blood off my hands" he told the elf who just turned away and began walking towards the house, clearly not happy.

Harry rushed to catch up with the elf but was startled as a loud screech sounded from his left. He turned to see 7 large birdlike creatures charging towards him and his eyes shot up in recognition; the griffins.

He knew he was not going to be able to out run them so he drew his wand carefully. The thought of apparating away did not even occur to him, something that he would chide himself for later.

"Don't run Master Harry" Maisie said worriedly. "Yous need to stand very still".

Harry did as the elf said and braced himself.

The creatures slowed down as they drew closer and Harry got his first real look at them. They were huge, much bigger than the Thestrals and looked considerably more dangerous. The beaks they had were clearly razor-sharp as were the talons which Harry eyed with concern; he certainly did not want to get caught with one of those.

The one leading them was a deep golden colour and if Harry wasn't feeling so nervous he would have marvelled at the beauty of the beasts. The others were a variety of colours; two red, two blue and one a sunset yellow. The final one was golden also, a smaller version of the one that was now approaching.

The creature eyed him critically and began sniffing him in interest. It screeched loudly again and turned its attention to the wand he held in his hand. It sniffed the wood and narrowed its eyes at it. After a moment it screeched again in what seemed like triumph and butted Harry forcefully in his chest knocking him back a few steps. He braced himself again and waited to see what the creature would do next.

It approached him again and screeched loudly; clearly the animal was both proud and stubborn. Having enough of being pushed around by the griffin Harry stood tall and looked it in the eye.

"Stop" he commanded in a firm voice.

The animal tilted its head at him in bemusement and screeched again.

"Now you're just being childish" Harry said with a frown.

The Griffin ruffled its feathers at him indignantly.

"I'm not going to let you bully me" Harry informed the beast and stepped forward causing the animal to take a step back. "See, I'm not scared of you so you can stop your little macho act" he said firmly.

The griffin nodded at him once and turned away to walk back towards the rest of the group that followed him and left the boy and the elf to proceed to the house.

"Was yous really not scared?" Maisie asked him in awe.

"Terrified" Harry answered simply. "But you have to do things even if you are scared" he explained.

"And that's what makes yous a strong wizard" Maisie praised.

Harry just shook his head at the elf and the two entered the house so he could shower and get ready to meet Daphne.

"Elgar" he called.

The elf appeared and looked very confused until he recognised the house he was in.

"Master Harry found his home" he said sadly.

"I did" Harry replied. "But I will still be spending a lot of time at the other house" he told the elf who smiled.

"What can Elgar do for Master Harry?" he asked.

"Could you please get me some clothes?" Harry requested.

Elgar popped away and returned a minute later with some clean clothes for Harry.

"You can come here any time you like Elgar" Harry informed the elf. "I'm sure Maisie won't mind".

"Thank you Master Harry" Elgar said gratefully. "Elgar and Maisie was good friends once, before Lord Potter passed away" he explained.

"Well then you can catch up as much as you like" Harry said with a smile.

"Elgar will do that" the elf responded and popped away.

Harry went to shower and get ready to visit Daphne. He had already done so much yet his day had barely begun.

 _(BREAK)_

Natalie awoke in an unfamiliar room and it took her a few moments to remember how she ended up here. The whole of the previous felt like some kind of awful dream, a feeling she was glad of because if the reality of it all set in, she wouldn't have the nerve or courage to even leave her bed.

She found that some clothes had been left out for her so she got dressed and headed to the kitchen to see what the day would bring; surely it couldn't be any worse than yesterday.

She entered the kitchen to be greeted by a large gathering of people. There was a group of redhead boys and men and a girl who she recognised as one of Harry's friends.

"Hello Natalie" Marlene said brightly to the young girl. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Good morning Miss McKinnon" Natalie replied shyly. "I slept ok" she answered.

Marlene smiled at the girl.

"You can just call me Marlene Natalie" she told her. "Would you like some breakfast?".

"Yes please" Natalie responded gratefully, she hadn't realised her own hunger until the older woman had asked.

Marlene put together a plate of food and handed it to the girl.

"Thank you" Natalie said quietly.

"You're welcome" Marlene responded with another soft smile.

"Why are you here?" Hermione cut in curiously.

"My orphanage was attacked by werewolves and Harry and Mr Black saved me" Natalie explained.

"I didn't know you were an orphan" Hermione said sadly.

"My mum and dad died in a car crash when I was little" the younger girl told her.

Hermione smiled sadly.

"That's what Harry thought happened to his parents" she said knowingly.

"He told me" Natalie informed her.

"Then he must really like you" Hermione declared. "Harry doesn't tell people things about his life often".

"I like him too, he's like a big brother" Natalie replied. "He said he is going to look after me" she added with a smile.

"Then you are the safest young lady in the world" Hermione responded. "Harry is good at looking after people he cares about".

"And speaking of looking after you" Marlene cut in. "We are going to have to take you shopping, you only have your wand and here and that just won't do" she finished shaking her head.

"But I don't have any money" Natalie said sadly.

"Harry has lots of money" Marlene shrugged. "And so does Sirius, speak of the devil" she added as the man walked gingerly into the room.

"Are you still milking it?" Marlene asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not milking anything" the man huffed indignantly. "I valiantly fought and killed a werewolf with my bare hands" he proclaimed posing proudly.

Natalie giggled.

"Harry had to help you" she piped up causing Marlene to snicker.

"Well we can't all kill a werewolf double our size with just a dagger" Sirius said shaking his head.

"What?" Marlene asked incredulously.

"Yeah I saw him do it when I was trying to get up the stairs, turns out he's just as ruthless with a knife" he mused. "And you should be defending me" he pointed out to the girl. "It was me who was there last night, not her" he added pointing to his fiancé.

"Not all of us are as reckless as you Princess" Marlene muttered causing the table to erupt in laughter.

"Will you stop calling me that" Sirius whined and pouted. "It's very unbecoming of a man of my station" he added with a frown.

"But it suits you" Natalie cut in. "Especially when Harry put the pink ribbons on you" she added, her eyes full of mirth.

"He didn't" Marlene stated, fighting back the laughter.

"He did" Natalie said flatly.

Those at the table laughed again.

"I should have stayed in bed" Sirius muttered. "Damn godson of mine, I can't even get him back, he'd kill me" he added shaking his head again.

"Stop grumbling princess" Marlene said. "You have a job to do today" she informed him.

"I do?" he asked dumbly.

"You need to take Natalie shopping for clothes and anything else she sees and wants" Marlene explained with a smile.

"Why can't you do it?" Sirius asked with a frown. "I'm sure she doesn't want me to take her, as handsome as an escort I would be" he finished with a smug grin.

"Because it is the full moon tonight and I don't think I am up to a shopping trip" Marlene replied firmly.

"Then a shopping trip for us it is young lady" Sirius announced to the girl who was looking nervously at Marlene.

"Are you a werewolf too?" she asked a little fearfully.

"She is" Sirius answered. "But I promise she is more scary in her human form than as a wolf, in fact she is more cuddly" he added with a frown. "She has a potion and she is safe I promise" he finished seriously.

"I hope that's ok" Marlene said nervously.

"I'm sorry" Natalie said. "It's just after last night".

"I understand" Marlene responded. "But I promise you I would never hurt you" she said sincerely taking the girl by her shoulders.

Natalie smiled.

"Can I pet you?" she asked with a grin.

"Unbelievable" Marlene said in faux outrage. "You spend ten minutes in his company and you're just like him" she huffed pointing at her fiancé who was roaring in laughter.

"Oh I like her" Sirius proclaimed wiping tears from his eyes. "Can we keep her?" he asked in a childlike way.

Marlene raised an eyebrow at the man.

"You yourself are more than a handful Sirius Black" she said. "But you do make me smile more than you annoy me I suppose" she added placing a kiss on his cheek causing the man to grin. "Now go and get ready you have a shopping trip to complete before we talk about everything else" she instructed.

"Ahh yes, I must look my best for the adoring women who will no doubt throw themselves at me, are you ready to fight off a group of crazed women Natalie?" he asked the girl.

"In your dreams princess" Natalie replied. "If your head gets any bigger we won't be able to go because you won't fit through the door" she added with a grin.

Sirius looked affronted and pouted at the girl.

"Oh I like her" Marlene cut in snickering. "Can we keep her? She added, mimicking her fiancés previous sentiment.

"Well that teamwork lasted all of two minutes" Sirius grumbled. "I'll just go and get ready before I'm embarrassed anymore" he announced as he left the room.

"You'll do just fine here Natalie" Marlene said to the girl pulling her into a hug.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived in front of Greengrass manor and the gates opened immediately to let him in. He was making his way to the front door when they opened to reveal a very cautious looking Daphne with her wand pointed at him.

"Harry?" she asked disbelievingly.

"I hope you don't plan on cursing me Miss Greengrass" Harry replied. "I've already had enough trouble this morning" he informed her with a shake of his head.

"What trouble?" she asked with a frown.

"I thought I was going to be killed by a group of griffins" he sighed.

"And what were you doing with a group of griffins?" the blonde asked curiously.

"Turns out I own them, my ring told me where my family home is last night so I went" he explained after seeing the confused look on the girls face.

"So that's why I couldn't owl you, you must have wards there to stop it" she said in realisation. "How is it?" she asked.

"It's good" Harry answered simply. "It's been well looked after" he added with a shrug.

"So why are you here? I would have thought that you would want to spend as much time there as possible" she questioned.

"Well I do have reasons to be here" Harry informed the girl walking towards her. "But more than anything I wanted to see you and it turns out that I don't really need an excuse for that" he finished pulling the now smiling girl into a hug.

"And where did you obtain this pearl of wisdom Mr Potter" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My Grandfather actually" Harry responded. "My Grandparents have a portrait in the library".

"I'm so happy for you" Daphne intoned sincerely. "I'd like to meet them" she added with a grin.

"You will, I'm sure that they will insist on it at some point" he said shaking his head.

"So you told them about me?" Daphne asked disbelievingly. "What did you say?" she added with a frown.

"That's between me and them" Harry proclaimed. "And it's my birthday so you have to be nice to me".

"I suppose I can let it go for a day" Daphne mused. "Happy Birthday" she finished placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Eww do you have to do that?" a voice cut in.

Harry turned to see both Astoria and Tracey standing inside the entrance hall looking very amused at the pair.

"Ahh if it isn't my favourite banshees" he greeted the pair.

"Banshees Potter?" Tracey asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Loud, obnoxious, but very pretty" he counted off. "Sounds about right" he shrugged.

"Don't patronise me Potter" Tracey said with a frown. "It should be Daphne you're trying to butter up after what you got up to last night" she added with a wicked grin.

"And what did you get up to last night Mr Potter" Daphne asked.

"That was one of the reasons I came" Harry replied shooting a glare at Tracey. "Natalie's orphanage was attacked by werewolves last night" he explained.

"Is she ok?" Daphne asked worriedly.

"She's fine" Harry assured her. "Me and Sirius got there in time".

"And killed Fenrir Greyback and a lot of other werewolves" Tracey cut in.

"Thank you Tracey" Harry said loudly. "How do you get your information?" he questioned the girl with a scowl.

Tracey just smirked and tapped the end of her nose with her finger.

"Anyway" Harry continued. "Sirius and I were meeting someone when Natalie used the necklace" he explained. "Greyback was there with some werewolves and Malfoy".

"Did you get him?" Tracey asked.

"I was about to kill him when a werewolf jumped on me" Harry answered. "The cowardly shit used a portkey but I gave him a nice injury to remember me by" he finished with a grin.

"But Natalie is ok?" Daphne asked.

"She's staying with Sirius and Marlene" Harry told her with a nod.

"Well I can hardly be mad at him for that" Daphne said to Tracey.

"No you can't" Tracey agreed reluctantly. "I was hoping to see Potter get told off" she huffed.

"Well instead you get to see him being rewarded" Daphne said with a grin and kissed Harry again.

"I need a boyfriend" Tracey mumbled shaking her head at the couple.

"Why else did you come?" Daphne asked Harry.

"Well it turns out Snape is missing" he told the trio. "I'll bet my life that is was him who told Tom about Natalie so it makes sense that he told him about you too so I was thinking that I should put the Fidelius Charm on here, if your parents don't mind" he explained.

"Snape?" Tracey asked with a frown.

"Yeah he was a spy" Harry replied.

Clearly the girls did not know this piece of information judging by their reactions.

"Well my parents are at work and they won't be back until later" Daphne cut in. "You can stay if you want to" she added hopefully.

"I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday" Harry answered with a smile.

"Great we get to watch them making eyes at each other" Tracey sighed.

"If I remember correctly" Daphne said to her friend with a frown. "It was you that encouraged me to do something about how I was feeling. Wasn't it you who said something about exploding ovaries?" she asked.

"Ok, ok" Tracey conceded. "We don't need to mention that" she said firmly.

"Wait here a second" Daphne suddenly said and ran into the house.

She returned after a few minutes carrying a wrapped package which she handed to Harry nervously.

"I tried to send it by owl this morning but she just wouldn't take it, I know why now, Happy birthday" she said shyly.

Harry took the present and opened it to find a simple mirror with a gold frame inside.

"Are you trying to say I'm vain?" he asked her with a mock scowl.

"No" Daphne replied shaking her head. "It's charmed to another mirror that I have, all you have to do is say my name into it and we can talk wherever you are" she explained.

"Thank you" Harry said gratefully with a smile. "It means we can talk every night instead of just owling" he said in understanding to the gift.

"You really like it?" Daphne asked nervously.

"I couldn't think of a better present right now" he responded genuinely.

Daphne blushed and smiled at that.

The group simply spent the day just talking and sharing stories about their time at Hogwarts. Harry found that he really enjoyed this kind of simplicity and even managed to forget about the war and Riddle for a short time. These were the times that he needed in his life where he could just be a typical teenager, something he had never truly had. He was pulled from his small respite of innocence by the arrival of Jonathan and Ophelia who returned from work in the early evening.

"Hello Harry" Jonathan greeted him warmly. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I just wanted to spend some time with Daphne" Harry replied. "But there is something I need to talk to you about also" he added.

"Would this have something to do with the werewolf attack last night?" Jonathan asked knowingly.

"In a way it does" Harry answered honestly.

"Then what can I do for you?" Jonathan questioned the teen.

"Well the werewolves attacked that orphanage last night because a friend of mine lived there" he explained. "Somehow he found out about her and I think he might know about Daphne" he added with a frown. "I was wondering if you would let me put the Fidelius charm on your property, just as an added safety measure" Harry requested.

"You can do that?" Jonathan asked with raised eyebrows. "Of course you can do it" he added shaking his head. "I don't have any problem with it" he continued. "You can never be too safe with how things are right now" he mused.

After discussing it they all agreed that Jonathan should be the secret keeper and Harry performed the charm for them. Having done that the group settled down to share a meal and just spend some time together, something that they didn't get to do often with the girls at school and the parents working as much as they did.

They had been talking for a while when they were disrupted by the appearance of a patronus in the form of a dog that spoke with the voice of Sirius Black.

"Harry, we need you, giants and Dementors on Brighton beach, hurry" the dog said urgently.

Harry shot to his feet immediately.

"I have to go" he announced.

"Surely you're not going to fight giants?" Ophelia asked disbelievingly.

"Someone has to" Harry replied sadly with a shake of his head.

"Be careful Harry" Daphne begged.

"I always am" Harry responded with a weak smile. "I'll use the mirror to call you when I'm done" he promised giving her a chaste kiss on the lips before disapparting.

"He really is quite something isn't he" Ophelia intoned sadly.

Jonathan shook his head.

"I've never known a man to be so fearless and selfless" he said genuinely. "The world needs more men like him" he added.

"Are you not worried?" Ophelia asked her daughter who seemed to be taking it all in her stride.

"I always worry about him" Daphne answered honestly. "But then I remember what he's capable of and I know that he will be ok".

"And he will need you to be that strong for him" Jonathan responded with a nod.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived on the beach into complete chaos. People were scattering in every direction and it did not take long for him to locate the problem.

Around 100 metres in front of him he could see three giants attacking the pier, simply ripping chunks of the construct off and hurling it into the crowds of fleeing people. He growled in anger and apparated again much closer to the action so he could locate his godfather.

He appeared amongst a group of aurors who were attempting to subdue the beasts with bonebreakers and bludgeoners. He shook his head.

"Don't you know they a very resistant to magic?" he asked incredulously.

"What do you know Potter?" one of the men questioned angrily.

Harry shook his head again and banished a nearby heavy beam that had just been ripped from the pier with all of his might towards one of the beasts, catching it flush on the knee. There was a loud crack on impact and the giant roared in anger and pain as it collapsed to one knee.

"That's what I know" he returned to the auror who just nodded dumbly. "Start conjuring bricks or arrows, anything that will damage them" he commanded of the aurors who immediately complied.

"Nice of you to join us" a voice said from his right.

Harry turned to see his godfather standing there looking relieved to see him.

"Well I could hardly say no could I?" Harry asked the man rhetorically. "Come with me" he added. "These guys know what they are doing now" he explained indicating the group of aurors who were conjuring and banishing a variety of implements.

The duo stepped away from the group and Harry got his first look at the destruction the creatures had wrought. There were a considerable amount of bodies littering the pebbles and sand, it was clear that many had lost their lives.

"Dementors?" Harry asked Sirius.

"Dumbledore and the order are dealing with them about a mile that way" he explained jerking his thumb behind them. "They're fine" he reassured the teen.

"Ok" Harry replied. "How about we take one of them each" he suggested indicating the other two giants.

"You're on" Sirius replied with a grin. "I need to improve my reputation at home, Natalie was so kind to tell everyone how I needed help last night from you" he explained shaking his head.

"If you take yours down first I'll let you come to Potter Manor and meet my griffins" Harry challenged with a glare.

"Wait they're real?" Sirius asked in disbelief. "I thought James was making it up".

He looked towards his godson to see that he was already charging full pelt towards the largest of the giants. Sirius shook his head and started running towards the other beast.

'I must be insane' he thought to himself.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry wasted no time and began running towards one of the giants waving his wand and causing a powerful gust of wind to begin picking up a large amount of sand and pebbles. He twirled it between his fingers like a baton and the wind began forming into a twister which he quickly banished towards the beasts face, attempting to blind it.

It worked but the creature began stomping and swinging a large piece of wood it had removed from the pier in its fury. Harry knew he needed to act quickly or more people would be injured or killed by the behemoth.

"Spinal cord" he muttered in remembrance to his grandfather's notes.

The problem was that this giant must have been close to 30 feet tall and even reaching it was a challenge.

"Ahh shit" Harry grumbled at the only idea he could come up with. "This is insane" he declared to himself.

He conjured a sword and began concentrating, he needed to get this just right.

He apparated on to the giants shoulder and immediately grabbed a handful of its long matted hair to steady himself. The beast felt the teen on his shoulder and began furiously trying to remove him.

"Just like the troll" Harry mused, remembering his first year encounter.

With his free hand he drove the sword as hard as he could into the back of the giant's neck but only succeeded in causing a deep cut, simply not enough to bring it down.

Harry sighed deeply and threw sword to the ground and flicked his wand into his hand.

"This is going to be messy" he intoned in distaste.

He pushed his wand into the wound that he had made and cast the most powerful blasting curse he could think of. He quickly found himself sailing through the air towards the ground below.

Before he could even comprehend what was happening he hit the ground with a thump and felt his shoulder crack painfully on impact. What he didn't notice was that he still had a large handful of the creature's hair and attached to it was the now severed head of the beast. He frantically tried to untangle his hand from the head in disgust and stood when he had done so to be greeted by many open mouthed people just staring at him.

He ignored them and turned to see the giant that Sirius had taken on laying on the ground in chains with several arrows and spears protruding from its neck.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Harry questioned himself irritably favouring his shoulder. He pointed his wand at the arm and hissed quietly causing the bone to pop back into place.

He hissed in pain and shook his head to clear the dizziness he was experiencing from the healing spell.

"You don't half do things the hard way do you?" he heard Sirius question him.

"Tell me about it" Harry grumbled turning to his godfather. "I should have used chains" he added.

"We live and learn" Sirius shrugged. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah" Harry assured the man. "Not the most pleasant of things to do".

"Definitely not" Sirius agreed.

The duo turned to see the crowd still staring with mouths agape at them. They suddenly began cheering and applauding the pair loudly much to their embarrassment.

"Time to go?" Sirius asked.

"Shall we check on Dumbledore and the others?" Harry asked in return.

Sirius just grabbed his godson by the shoulders and apparated them away.

"Never do that again" Harry demanded angrily as they landed on another part of the beach.

"I owed you that" Sirius shrugged with a grin. "The princess thing" he added in explanation.

"I see you decided to help with our situation" a voice cut in before Harry could reply.

Harry and Sirius turned to see a tired Dumbledore looking at them with a grateful smile.

"We do what we can" Sirius said with a salute and a grin.

Harry just shook his head at the man.

"You make quite the team" Dumbledore praised. "It reminds me of another duo with names Black and Potter" he added with his eyes twinkling.

"Is everyone ok?" Harry asked the headmaster.

"A few aurors and quite a lot of muggles dead" Dumbledore explained sadly.

"Aye and it would have been worse if you two didn't show" Moody cut in with a growl.

"Hello Moody" Harry greeted the man with a shake of the hand.

"Potter" the grizzled man greeted with a smirk. "Are you planning on asking me for the theory work for your masters?" he asked the teen with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually I was" Harry replied.

"Then I will get it sent to you first thing and remember to do your NEWT stuff too, Griselda is keen to get you in" Moody explained.

"I'll write to her tonight" Harry promised.

"Good man" Moody praised clapping him on the shoulder. "Everything is good Albus" he said to the older man.

"Then we should leave and let the ministry get on with their job" Dumbledore declared. "I hope I will see you soon Harry" he added sincerely before disapparating away.

"I will see you soon Potter" Moody growled in farewell before he too disappeared.

"How's Natalie settling in?" Harry asked his godfather.

"Just fine" Sirius answered with a smile. "I took her shopping today and she made quite a dent in your finances" he added with a smirk.

"As long as she's happy" Harry said with a soft smile.

"She is" Sirius assured him. "Well I should get home, it's the full moon" Sirius explained. "It will be dark soon" he finished.

"Yeah I need to call Daphne and let her know I'm ok" Harry responded.

"Ohh Harry is whipped" Sirius mocked.

"Says you princess" Harry replied with a smirk before disapparating.

"Damn" Sirius said, frustrated at his godson's sudden departure before he could reply. "The way it's going I'll be whipped by two females soon enough" he grumbled.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived in the drawing room at the home he had been left by Arcturus breathing a deep sigh of relief; that could have ended much worse and he knew it.

He rubbed his aching shoulder, grunting at the discomfort it was giving him. He decided that a hot shower would be prudent right now to sooth his soreness before he mirror called Daphne as he had promised.

Finishing his shower he climbed into bed after removing the mirror from his bloody and filthy clothes, checking that it was still in-tact and breathing a sigh of relief as he found it still in one piece.

"Daphne Greengrass" he spoke loudly to the object and waited for the girl to answer.

He didn't have to wait long as only a few seconds passed before an image of the blonde appeared with a look of clear relief on her face.

"Harry?" she asked with said relief evident in her tone.

Harry smiled at Daphne, truly glad to see her again.

"It's me" he confirmed.

"Are you ok?" the girl questioned him worriedly.

"I'm fine" Harry assured the girl who visibly relaxed.

"I'm so glad you're ok" she mumbled in reply, her eyes begin to shine with unshed tears which she wiped at before they could fall.

Seeing this Harry felt a stab of guilt. He hadn't really thought about how his actions affected those around him. He quickly realised that seeing her mad at him was much more preferential than seeing her upset.

"I'm sorry" he said sincerely exercising effort to keep his composure.

Seeing the girl hurt caused a pain in his chest he had never experienced before.

"Why are you apologising?" Daphne asked with a frown.

"For making you worry so much, I know it can't be easy" he explained.

"It's the only downside to being your girlfriend" Daphne replied with a shrug.

"It's still not fair" Harry responded shaking his head. "I just thought of how I'd feel in your position" he added with a sudden look of realisation dawning on him. "Did you just say girlfriend?" he asked incredulously.

"I hope that is a rhetorical question Mr Potter" Daphne stated with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not in the habit of just kissing anyone" she added seriously.

Harry smiled at the girl, a genuine one.

"You mean you can put up with me?" he asked her with a chuckle.

"I very much doubt there is anyone I could put up with other than you" the girl returned sincerely. "Even if I do spend most of my life worrying about you and what you're up to" she added with a mock scowl.

"It won't be like this forever" Harry said with a shake of his head.

"Is that so?" Daphne questioned. "How will it be?" she asked with a grin.

"Well once this is over I just want a simple life" Harry explained. "One where I can just live and have some normality" he elaborated.

"And that is one of the reasons I can put up with the worry" Daphne responded with a soft smile.

Harry frowned and seeing this Daphne explained further.

"Most people in your position would want fame and glory but not you. You just wasn't this over so you can live your life" she said. "It's one of the qualities I admire the most about you and just makes me care about you even more" she added.

"Thank you" Harry replied quietly.

"Why are you thanking me?" Daphne asked frowning again.

"For just being you" Harry answered. "For just caring about me for who I am and giving me some of the normality I want. When I'm with you I can forget about everything else; the war, Tom and what I have to do, it means so much that you can do that" he finished genuinely.

"I'm glad I can do that" Daphne replied with a gentle smile. "I'll always do that for you if that's what you need".

"And that's what makes you different and why I can care about you so much" Harry said in realisation.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked curiously.

"You just see me as Harry, none of the other crap that people label me with" he explained.

"That's because to me you are just Harry" Daphne returned. "Yes you are the-boy-who-lived and all that but first and foremost, you're just Harry to me and that's how I will always see you and Harry is who I care about" she said firmly.

Harry smiled at the girl, a comforting warmth spreading throughout him.

"What about the giants?" Daphne asked, worried again.

"Dead" Harry replied simply. "They killed a fair few people but me, Sirius and the aurors dealt with them" he added in explanation.

"As long as you're ok" Daphne said questioningly.

"Nothing that won't heal in a couple of days" Harry said with a shake of his head. "How did your OWLS go?" he asked remembering he hadn't mentioned them earlier in the day.

"Well thanks to you I got O's and O+'s mainly but a few E's too" Daphne replied with a smile, clearly proud of her results.

"Good" Harry praised with a smile. "Moody is sending my work for my masters tomorrow, which reminds me, I need to write to Madame Marchbanks so I can book in to do my NEWT theory" he explained.

"Then you go and do that now" Daphne instructed. "Call me in the morning?" she questioned.

"I will" Harry said with a smile. "Goodnight Daphne" he bade her farewell with a smile.

"Goodnight Harry" Daphne replied with a warm smile.

After the conversation ended Harry penned a note to Madame Marchbanks stating that he was ready to come in at her convenience before he got back into bed, the warmth he felt from the care shown by his girlfriend outweighing the dull ache he felt in his shoulder.

"My girlfriend" he mumbled to himself with a contented smile.

 _(BREAK)_

Jonathan Greengrass entered the kitchen in the morning and greeted his wife in his usual fashion before sitting down to drink his coffee and read the newspaper. He shook his head in amusement and disbelief at the headline.

 **Potter, Black and the Giant Attack!**

The pictured clearly showed Harry standing on the shoulder of the giant, blowing its head off and falling through the air, hitting the ground. Jonathan released a deep breath before handing his wife the paper.

"He really is a marvel" Ophelia intoned after looking at the paper, her eyebrows rising in disbelief and admiration.

Jonathan smiled.

"That he is" he said sincerely.

Daphne entered the room at this point and took a seat next to her father before pulling the newspaper towards herself, glancing at it, a look of worry flashing across her features before she discarded it.

"Have you heard from him?" he father questioned her.

Daphne nodded.

"He's ok" she assured her parents.

"Good" Jonathan replied with a nod.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Ophelia asked knowingly, peering at her daughter over her mug of tea.

"More than I can say" Daphne whispered sincerely.

Jonathan put a comforting arm around his daughter.

"If anyone can do what he is trying then it is Harry" he said genuinely and firmly, attempting to reassure his daughter.

"I know, I don't doubt him" Daphne replied with a nod, leaning into her father's embrace.

"Then why do you look so concerned?" Jonathan asked with a grin.

"I just worry about what people will expect from him when he has done what he needs, Harry just wants peace and a normal life" she explained.

"People will expect a lot from him" Ophelia cut in. "He's already a hero to most of us and that won't ever change".

"He's just Harry" Daphne said with a shake of her head. "He just does what he sees as right" she added a little sadly.

"You love him" Ophelia said flatly.

Both Jonathan and Daphne spluttered at this.

"Mum" Daphne said pleadingly.

Ophelia took a sip of her tea and looked at her daughter speculatively.

"What is it you like about the boy?" she asked.

"Everything" Daphne whispered after a moment.

"Such as?" Ophelia asked with a raised eyebrow as Jonathan looked on, mouth agape.

"He's the most caring person I have ever met, he's selfless" she began. "He frustrates me" she added with a frown. "But I wouldn't change a thing about him, he's… perfect" she finished.

"So you don't care about these things?" Ophelia asked holding up the paper. "The fact that he is rich and magically very gifted?" she added.

"No" Daphne responded vehemently. "None of that stuff matters, its Harry I care about" she said firmly.

"So what makes him different from everyone else?" Ophelia asked with a smirk sipping her tea again.

"Everything" Daphne replied.

"What about his looks?" Ophelia questioned.

"He's beautiful" Daphne answered. "But that's not what I look at" she added shaking her head. "He's just Harry" she continued. "My Harry" she finished with a whisper.

"How would you feel if you lost him in any way?" Ophelia asked.

Daphne felt a lump form in her throat at that question and took a moment to try and compose herself.

"I can't let that happen" she whispered emotionally. "It wouldn't be right not having him".

Ophelia smiled at her daughter.

"That is how I feel about your father" she explained. "Despite his flaws I wouldn't change a thing about him" she said looking at her husband and smiling. "You'll figure it out in your own time" she added still looking at the man she had married.

Ophelia knew it wasn't fair to push Daphne into realising her feelings but she knew her daughter was very independent and needed some kind of push, She just did not want the girl to end up broken hearted because she didn't realise her own feelings in time. She took after her in that way and unbeknownst to many, she was very close to losing Jonathan before she managed to figure out what she had felt for the man. She didn't want her daughter experiencing the same thing and thought that a few questions would get her thinking about how she felt, something she knew the girl always avoided and fought against if it interfered in her day to day life in any way.

Daphne left the kitchen deep in thought; she had much to think about but already knew her mother was speaking the truth, she just hadn't admitted it to herself completely.

She was simply scared. What if Harry didn't return the feelings? She would be devastated, that being an understatement.

"I'm in love with Harry" she whispered to herself with a smile that quickly faltered. "I'm in love with Harry" she repeated nervously.

She couldn't help the knot that formed in her stomach at her declaration. Nervousness coupled with excitement was a strange feeling, a feeling she was not fond of.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort was seething as he read the morning paper brought to him by one of his dutiful Death Eaters, who fled quickly after handing it to his master. After reading the headline the Dark Lord crumpled it before tossing it aside angrily.

"Potter" he hissed breathing heavily.

He had not expected the boy to be as brazen as to confront a Giant of all things and kill it seemingly with ease. He banged his fist on the table as the now familiar nervousness crept in on him.

"My Lord" a voice cut into his thoughts nervously.

"What is it Macnair?" he asked irritably.

"The Giants have gone" the man informed his master nervously. "The Gurg is not happy that 3 of his people were killed".

Voldemort growled in annoyance.

"Leave" he commanded.

The man quickly obliged with haste leaving his clearly angry master alone.

" _We must keep you safe"_ he hissed at his familiar.

The snake slithered up the man and rested easily around his body in a soothing manner.

"I must visit with the Vampires" he declared suddenly standing. "I need more allies".

He paced knowing that negotiating with them would be a long and arduous process but he knew he needed to do it in person. Not only would he have to locate them, which in itself would take time because of their elusiveness and hatred towards wizards, but he would also have to convince them and the creatures weren't known for either cooperation or snap decision making.

For now, things would have to be put on hold while the Dark Lord obtained more followers.

"Perhaps I can convince more to my cause on my travels" he mused, formulating several plans in his mind. "Yes, it is necessary".

With that he summoned Dolohov and Bellatrix, his most devout followers so he could inform them that he would be away for some time on errands and that they should train the recruits to the best of their abilities.

"Yes, more time is what I need for everything to fall into place" he said to himself.

The wizarding world may get some peace for the time being but Lord Voldemort would be back and back with a vengeance.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry awoke the next morning and stretched, still feeling an essence of soreness in his shoulder. He called Daphne as he had promised and then decided that he needed to find a way to stay in contact with Bellatrix, much to his discomfort with the older witch.

He showered and made his way to the drawing room where the books of the house were kept hoping to find a charm or something that would help him with his problem.

He was searching the shelves when a tap on the window disturbed him. Frowning, he allowed the bird entry which exited as soon as he removed the package it had brought.

Harry opened the package to find that it was what Moody had promised that he would send. He placed it on the desk, making a mental reminder to look at it when he had more time.

He continued perusing the shelves when he came to a book that caught his attention.

"Fantastic beasts and where to find them by Newt Scamander" he muttered reading the title.

His thoughts drifted back to the previous day and the confrontation with the griffins. He shrugged and opened the book, quickly finding what he was looking for.

 _The Griffin is in all likelihood the most proud creature I have ever come across much more so than its distant relative, the Hippogriff. Their beauty is only matched by its ferocity and they should not be approached, to do so will put you in serious danger, as I found out to my dismay._

 _I spent several days observing a group of them from a good distance and learned very little much to my sadness. What I do know is that they truly are highly dangerous, even a dragon will be very hesitant to attempt an attack on a herd which I myself witnessed. The griffins fight savagely and the talons and beak cut easily into the dragon's tough hide. They are very fast, much faster than I believed and attack to kill quickly. The dragon was fortunate to escape._

 _They respond only to strength and one must stand still if they encounter one of these creatures. DO NOT FLEE. They will see you as prey and will kill you. I was fortunate enough to be able to apparate away before the situation became dire to myself._

"Why the hell did I not think of that" Harry mumbled to himself irritably.

 _After a few days of watching I was caught off guard by one of the beasts and found myself in a situation in which I believed I would certainly be killed. The creature stared at me and began butting me with its head, seemingly testing my resolve. I somehow found the courage to step forward and the griffin ceased its test and left me, much to my relief. I cannot be sure if this is an isolated incident of some vague form of acceptance for the beast returned daily and accepted food from me. We formed a tentative bond but I have no doubt had I stepped out of line the animal would have killed me without question._

 _Again, I implore any not to approach these beasts and be vigilant around them should you come upon them. Too little is known of them and they are too dangerous to observe for long periods of time._

Harry closed the book and shook his head. He truly had been lucky it seemed. He would need to deal with them at some point, but for now he would avoid them if possible.

He placed the book back on its shelf and carried on with his search for some spells used for communication, he knew a patronus would be far too indiscreet for this. He finally came across a book that seemed useful and soon found something to work with. It was very similar to, if not the spell that had been used on the Potter-Black spell books. He read the description and possible uses before nodding to himself.

He had some notebooks to buy and for that he had to take a trip to a muggle bookstore.

He disapparated to fetch what he needed and knew he would need to summon Narcissa later to hand her one of the books for her sister. He also wanted to have a conversation with her to find out how her dear husband was doing.

He smiled at the thought of the wound he had inflicted on the man.

 _(BREAK)_

Narcissa Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief as Lucius informed her that the Dark Lord would be absent for some time. That relief was short-lived however as she felt the bracelet her grandfather had left her grow warm.

'What can he possibly want?' she thought to herself worriedly.

"Where are you going?" Lucius asked her with a frown as she got up to leave.

"Well while I am free to do so I thought I would run some errands" she replied. "I am tired of feeling like a prisoner in my home Lucius" she added sadly.

"You should feel honoured having the Dark Lord residing here" he husband replied coldly.

"The honour is yours only" Narcissa responded quietly. "I've lost my son already and I fear I will lose you too".

Lucius just looked at his wife in contempt.

"None of those fools are a match for me" he said defiantly.

"Tell that to Potter when you see him next" Narcissa returned with a scowl.

Lucius blanched at the bluntness of his wife and immediately felt angry.

"You doubt me?" he hissed angrily drawing his wand.

"You can't beat him Lucius, you saw what he did to the Dark Lord" Narcissa pointed out.

"He caught him off guard, it won't happen again" Lucius said confidently.

"That wasn't luck" Narcissa replied. "You've seen what the boy is capable of" she added picking up the day's newspaper and waving it at him. "You can't beat him and he will kill you" she finished emotionally.

The lack of confidence shown by his wife angered him and Lucius did something he had never dared do before, he struck his wife with the back of his hand sending her sprawling to the ground.

Narcissa stood in shock but composed herself the way she had been taught growing up as a Black. She wiped away the trail of blood that came from her lip and felt her face begin to welt. She simply looked at her husband sadly and left the room, she had a meeting to get to.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry procured a couple of non-descript notebooks and made his way home to begin the charm work on them.

He added the spell that would allow the communication between the books and added a few more for good measure. He added a spell that would allow only those with Potter and Black blood to read the books, a spell he had found in the Potter-Black book. He then charmed them to shrink to the size of a matchbox when the pen was slid into the binding to conceal them and added a disillusionment charm on them that would trigger when they shrunk rendering them invisible. He then placed a few nasty curses on them should anyone else attempt to read them, curses that would be very unpleasant if they were activated.

With his work done he apparated back to the cave where he had met Bellatrix previously and pressed his wand to the Black family ring thinking of Mrs Malfoy, knowing that he could summon her through it.

He waited for a few minutes feeling a slight negative pulse of magic emitting from the Black ring, causing him to frown. He knew something had happened but also figured that it couldn't be too bad or the ring would surely give him much more than a small warning as it had.

It was only a minute later that the blonde woman appeared and Harry immediately saw that she was more pale than usual and a bruise was forming on her face, her lip bleeding also.

"What happened?" he asked quietly, with a dangerous undercurrent to his voice.

"Nothing" Narcissa quickly denied, not expecting the hostility in the boy's voice nor concern she could see in his eyes.

"Don't lie to me" Harry demanded with a frown.

Narcissa lost her composure at this point and sobbed involuntarily once before attempting to school her features back to their usual impassiveness.

"It's nothing" she said again shaking her head.

"He hit you, didn't he?" he asked with a scowl, feeling his anger rising.

"It doesn't matter" Narcissa claimed disbelievingly.

"It matters" Harry whispered as he approached her.

He wasn't particularly fond of the woman but he would not allow her to be abused. He promised Arcturus he would look after the family, even without his promise Harry hated abusive people, a hate he had gained from living with the Dursley's.

"Why do you care?" Narcissa asked the boy in confusion.

"Because it is my job as your head of house" Harry replied simply. "And I hate bullies" he added bitterly.

"I can handle it" Narcissa said uncertainly.

Harry frowned at the woman.

"Has he done it before?" he asked.

"Never" Narcissa responded just above a whisper as she felt tears welling in her eyes.

"It's never right for him to do that to you" Harry pointed out. "Even if it is just once, he will do it again" he explained conjuring a hanky for the woman and offering it to her.

Narcissa accepted the hanky, still feeling confused.

'Why does the boy care?' she thought to herself.

"You do know I'm going to kill him either way" Harry deadpanned.

Narcissa swallowed deeply and nodded. She didn't want Lucius to be killed but she had begun to accept that Potter would not change his mind and she knew the risk her husband took by serving the Dark Lord.

"Did you know that he led the werewolves to attack that orphanage?" Harry asked.

Narcissa looked at the boy with disbelief.

"He wouldn't do that" she denied vehemently.

"How do you think I injured him?" Harry asked. "Him and his werewolf friends attacked an orphanage full of children" he added firmly.

Narcissa did not want to believe that about her husband. She knew he could be cruel in a fight and had even shared in some torture and the occasional rape, the reason she refused to lay with him, not that he ever showed any interest in that after Draco had been born.

"He wouldn't, not children" she denied again shaking her head.

Harry just shrugged. He wasn't going to waste his time convincing her otherwise.

"The offer of sanctuary still stands and always will" he told her gently.

Narcissa nodded.

"Anyway, I summoned you to give you this to pass on to your sister" Harry informed her handing her the book.

Narcissa took the book with a frown.

"What is going on between you and my sister?" she asked.

"If she hasn't told you then it isn't my place to" Harry replied. "Just give it to her" he instructed.

Narcissa breathed a heavy sigh, she did not like this one bit but nodded reluctantly.

"It is nothing to worry about" Harry assured her. "Just a favour for a favour" he explained.

"I don't want to know" Narcissa cut him off. "It will do me no good to know, that way I have nothing to hide" she added knowingly.

"Good" Harry responded. "There is still time for you to get away" he tried again. "Just think about it" he implored before he disapparated back home.

Narcissa stood in the cave for several minutes simply thinking. She shook her head and apparated back home to give the book to Bellatrix.

She was so confused right now and didn't know what to do. She would be avoiding her husband for some time at the very least.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry returned to the drawing room to find an owl perched on the window waiting for him patiently. He relieved the bird of its burden and saw that it was a series of dates in which he would be sitting his NEWT theory work. He picked up the package he had received from Moody earlier in the day and glanced over the requirements he would need to fulfil, most of which he had already done. He smiled to himself. He had already invented his own defensive spells so all he had to do was complete the very comprehensive theory work, something that would take quite a bit of time, probably a year he figured. He would begin with it immediately, keen to get it done.

He saw his notebook on the desk pulsing with a gold glow and he knew that Bellatrix had gotten his book. He picked it up and read what she had written.

 _Potter,_

 _The Dark Lord has gone to the continent to meet with the vampires and find more followers, he will be gone quite some time. I have been instructed to train recruits so will be very busy but will inform you of my idiot husband's whereabouts when he leaves and when I can. I will be thinking of you._

 _Kisses._

Harry shuddered at the last sentence but quickly smiled. Knowing that Tom would be away for a while gave him the peace he would need to complete his NEWT work and hopefully kill a few Death Eaters when they ventured out. He was hoping both Malfoy and Rudolphus would make an appearance soon. He grinned evilly at that thought before heading to bed to call Daphne.

 _(BREAK)_

The rest of August passed quickly and to Harry's annoyance, neither of the men had made an appearance. He had spent a fair amount of time over the last month in disguise frequenting both Diagon and Knockturn Alley's respectively. Although he knew that Tom was away it did not mean that he would become lax. So he spent time trying to gather information as much as he could around his other commitments, he did not entirely trust Bellatrix to provide him with what he wanted to know.

As well as this he had completed his NEWT theory and was simply waiting for his results to come through the post, praying that he done well, he was confident that he had. He had begun his research on his masters work also but had not dedicated as much time to it as he would have liked. That would change after today though. It was September 1st and Daphne would be returning to school thus the reason he was stood on platform 9 ¾ with the Greengrass parents along with Sirius, Marlene and Natalie.

He had spent most of his time with Daphne, just enjoying the peace and taking advantage of the time he had with her. They had definitely grown closer and Harry knew he was going to miss her terribly once she boarded the train to head back to school. A knot of sadness had formed in his stomach at the thought of her departure and he wanted nothing more than to stay with her. He had even considered going back to Hogwarts for his sixth year but quickly decided against it.

Being at the school would make it much more of a target, something he was unwilling to do. It would also only serve to hinder him in his efforts in dealing with Tom and his followers. He had already completed his education and knew the school really had nothing to offer him. No, his time was much better spent away from the castle, much to his own sadness.

"You better come and visit me on Hogsmeade weekends" Daphne said to him firmly.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything" Harry replied sincerely reassuring the blonde.

"I'm going to miss you" Daphne whispered sadly. "I wish you would come back".

"I'm going to miss you too" Harry responded trying to ignore the stab of sadness he felt in his gut.

He pulled the girl into a hug and held her tightly feeling very reluctant to release her as the whistle of the train blew.

"Call me on the mirror anytime you can" Harry told her with a weak smile.

"I will" Daphne replied with a swallow as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Harry watched in sadness as the girl boarded the train and waved at him half-heartedly from the compartment with a forced smile.

Harry waved back feeling the knot in his stomach tighten uncomfortably.

 _(BREAK)_

Natalie woke on the morning of September first with very mixed emotions. She was looking forward to going back to school but she would miss Marlene and Sirius. She had grown very close to both of them and was very fond of the couple who were not only fun but made her feel wanted.

She would have breakfast with them every morning where she and Marlene would tease the man incessantly before they would go shopping or do something fun. The days Sirius was busy training with Harry it would be just her and Marlene and she enjoyed the time with her just as much.

"Wake up sleepyhead" she heard the woman she was then thinking about call from the door. " We have to get you ready for school" the voice of the woman added with more than a hint of sadness.

Marlene had become very fond of the young girl and couldn't believe that she would be going back to school today. They had quickly bonded and Marlene felt like a mother, something she never expected that she would get the chance to feel.

"I'm awake" Natalie replied getting out of bed.

Breakfast that morning was a subdued affair, taken in silence and before any of the trio were ready they had to leave for Natalie to catch the train.

They appeared at the platform and remained silent clearly all feeling quite upset by the young girl's imminent departure.

Sirius saw the sadness in his fiancés eyes and found himself swallowing deeply knowing that the girl was leaving.

He himself had gotten very close to the girl and the thought of her not being in the house anymore did not sit well with the marauder. He complained all the time, but knew he was going to miss the daily teasing he got from both girls. He shook his head and smiled at the girl who was looking up at him and Marlene in obvious nervousness.

"Can I come visit at Christmas?" Natalie asked the couple quietly.

Marlene smiled, her eyes shining with tears that she did not even attempt to hide.

"It wouldn't be Christmas without you" She said pulling the girl into a loving embrace.

Sirius crouched down and pulled them both into a hug.

'This is what being a parent feels like' he mused to himself.

He felt a twinge of sadness which he quickly fought down. He had accepted long ago that he wouldn't have children of his own but in this moment he was hit with sudden realisation.

'She is my child' he thought to himself as he smiled at his observation.

The train whistle sounded and Sirius pulled a wrapped package from his pocket and handed it to the girl.

"Just look into it and say my name, then you will be able to talk to us whenever you like" he explained.

Natalie took the package and smiled happily.

"Every day?" she asked nervously.

"You'd better" Marlene instructed with a smile of her own. "And you better write too" she added.

"I will" Natalie promised.

"Off with you then" Sirius said cheerily although his emotion certainly did not match his voice.

They watched as the young girl boarded the train and waved at them from her compartment she was sharing with Daphne, Tracey and Astoria.

"I'm really going to miss her" Marlene declared, tears falling from her eyes.

"Me too" Sirius agreed swallowing deeply pulling the woman into his arms.

"Are you coming home?" She asked.

"Not yet" Sirius replied coming to a decision, one he knew the woman he held in his arms would not object to. "I will be there soon" he added.

Marlene nodded and disapparated, she could do with a few moments alone as it was.

Sirius placed a hand on his godson's shoulder getting the younger man's attention.

"I need your help" he said to Harry who just nodded in response.

 **A/N**

 **Another one down and I must say that I am very grateful for the reviews etch. I am guessing that another 5 or so chapters and this will be done. I have a few more ideas on a few fics I want to write but I am not sure if I will do it. The ideas are as original as this I will just have to see how I feel when this is done I guess. Anyway, please keep reviewing and following etch it is truly appreciated.**

 **TBS**


	17. Winter Wanderings and Wonderings

Chapter 17: Winter Wanderings and Wonderings

Four cloaked figures stood outside 'The Downed Unicorn' bar in Knockturn Alley simply watching and waiting for their target to emerge.

For one of the men the search for said man had been long and painstaking, but it had been worth the wait and effort; he knew the man he sought was in the bar completely unaware that tonight would be his last.

"Are you sure about this?" one of his companions asked nervously.

The man just nodded, his eager gaze never leaving the door of the pub.

"Remember, as soon as he leaves we all stun him and get out of here quickly" he reminded the other three firmly.

"We know, you have told us enough times" one of the other members of group answered irritably.

The ensemble of men stood and waited, the cold December air creeping in to their very bones.

It was around 30 minutes later that their target appeared and the men attacked in unison, and without hesitation before quickly grabbing their fallen prey and disapparating.

They all appeared at the prearranged destination without issue or hindrance and the older man of the group took charge, binding the man to an uncomfortable chair that he had placed earlier in the day.

He pointed his wand at the large blonde man.

" _Ennervate"_ he muttered and waited for the man to catch his bearings.

"What the fuck?" the man questioned angrily spying his four cloaked captors. "Oh you have no idea what you have done" he stated amusedly.

The taller of the four stepped forward and ploughed a fist into the man's nose, breaking it with ease.

"I know exactly what I've done" he spat furiously.

The blonde spat a mouthful of blood on the floor and grinned evilly.

"The Dark Lord will kill you" he said matter-of-factly, frowning as he saw his attacker simply shrug.

"Your master won't live long when Harry gets hold of him" the man replied confidently.

"Oh so you're one of Potters arse lickers are you?" the blonde man asked with a dark chuckle.

The man just punched him again, eliciting a grunt from his bound victim.

"I don't see the humour in your situation Mr Rowle" he spoke quietly. "You are already dead" he added casually.

The blonde narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Who the fuck are you?" he questioned angrily.

The cloaked man smirked and removed his hood.

"Bill Weasley, I've been looking for you for quite some time Rowle" Bill growled angrily.

Thorfinn Rowle roared in laughter.

"Even better, Dumbledore's lackey's" he exclaimed with glee. "You won't kill me" he added smugly.

"Now that is where you are wrong" Bill stated coldly. "But the way you die is entirely up to you" he continued. "You can die very quickly and relatively painlessly or you can suffer quite a long and terrible death, believe me, no one will find you here" he finished.

"Fuck you" Rowle responded, spitting a gob of saliva and blood at the redhead.

"I was hoping you would say that" Bill replied wiping the slime from his face and smirking.

Rowle looked at the other 3 members of the group.

"Obviously you're three more of the blood-traitor bastards" he said knowingly. "You're all dead men anyway" he shrugged. "So why not take your hoods down and face me properly".

Charlie, Fred and George removed their hoods and stared at the man distastefully, hate etched on every one of their features.

"There we go, that's better isn't it?" Rowle asked them patronisingly.

He again found himself on the receiving end of a punch from Bill.

"Where is Rookwood?" he demanded.

"Like I will tell you anything" Rowle spat.

Bill looked at the man and thought for a moment before he spoke.

"You know" he started. "Being a curse-breaker does have its advantages" he mused. "We come across some very unpleasant curses" he added with a nod and began pacing in front of the man who just followed him with his eyes. "There is one that will paralyse you and cause you to bleed from every orifice of your body, dying very slowly and very painfully" he informed the blonde. "There is another called the mummification curse" he continued. "That one is very nasty" he stated. "It will remove your organs one by one starting from the most minor, being your kidneys, and work all the way up to your heart and brain" he finished.

"I know more curses than you'll ever know boy" Rowle ground out but was clearly starting to get a little nervous.

"Probably" Bill conceded. "But there is also this" he added removing an ornate wooden box from within his robes.

The other occupants in the room eyed the box curiously. The other Weasley's had no idea that Bill had brought it or what it was.

"This" he began pulling on some thick dragonhide gloves and opening the box, "is the sternum of Farooq, the first pharaoh" he informed the group.

The others had no idea what the significance of the bone was and waited for Bill to continue.

"This claimed the lives of 2 other curse-breakers" he began again after a moment. "Very unpleasant deaths" he continued shaking his head. "We named the curse the ten day death" he explained. "What we know is that it will induce your worst nightmares and you will re-live them over and over again until you can't cope anymore and will do anything to end the suffering" he elaborated. "One of the men scratched his own eyes out because of how real it felt and proceeded you use the bone to stab himself to death" he finished with a grimace.

"Why is it called the ten day death then?" Charlie asked curiously, clearly disgusted by the implications of the item.

"I'm glad you asked" Bill replied with a grin. "The second man who was infected lived for ten days while we tried to counter the curse, of course we failed" he added. "He bit off his own tongue within minutes after we had bound him to a bed and completely destroyed his vocal chords within a day from the screaming, even giving him dreamless sleep potions did nothing" he explained. "For 10 days he screamed silently and then he suddenly stopped".

"What happened?" Fred asked in a whisper, clearly disturbed.

"He crumbled into dust" Bill replied seriously.

His three brothers took a step back to put some distance between themselves and the bone.

By this point Rowle was looking very pale and rather sickly.

"You wouldn't dare" he spoke nervously, his eyes not leaving the object the man clutched in his gloved hands.

"Oh I will if you don't tell me what I want to know" Bill intoned, stepping forwards and holding the bone an inch away from the man's face. "Where is Rookwood?" he questioned with a dangerously low tone.

"I don't know" Rowle said pleadingly paling further at the closeness of the cursed item.

"Don't lie to me" Bill hissed edging the bone ever closer to the man's flesh.

Rowle could now smell the musty odour coming from the bone and it made him gag involuntarily.

"Ok" he conceded. "Just get that thing away from me" he begged.

Bill complied and waited for the man to speak.

"He rarely leaves his home, it's under the Fidelius and the Dark Lord is the secret keeper" he began reluctantly. "When he does leave he goes to watch the Falcons play in disguise but he has his own box" he explained. "Box C on the west side of the stadium" he finished with a sigh.

"See, now that wasn't so hard was it?" Bill asked with a smirk.

"Now will you let me go?" Rowle asked with a frown.

"No" Bill replied flatly. "You had a hand in the death of my mother and sister" he added darkly. "Now you die" he spat and rammed the bone he held into the man's shoulder and removed it quickly afterwards.

Rowle wore a look of shock that quickly cleared as his face took on one of complete fear, his pupils expanded to take up the entirety of the surface colour of his eyes and he began screaming hauntingly. He attempted to thrash around but the bindings holding him in place prevented it, it did topple backwards however, sending the man, still bound, and crashing to the floor.

"Shit" Charlie exclaimed. "I didn't think it was real".

The twins just looked on feeling very nauseous.

"Let's go" Bill instructed giving the screaming man a look of contempt.

"You're really going to leave him like that?" Charlie asked with raised eyebrows.

"No" Bill replied shaking his head.

He removed Rowle's wand from his robes and pocketed it before removing the binds on the man who immediately began clawing at his face, removing strips of flesh as he did so.

"Now we go" Bill said coldly.

The other three just followed their older brother from the cabin they had used for this in utter shock and disbelief, none of the trio expected their usually jovial and caring brother to be capable of what they had just seen but they did understand his motives. They watched as he locked the building down, adding a few unpleasant wards and silencing charms.

"Not that it matters if he's found" he said with a shrug.

Bill himself was not proud of what he had done but he would ensure that the men who had murdered his mother and baby sister would pay sufficiently for their crimes.

"Rookwood" he mumbled to himself before he and his brothers disapparated.

 _(BREAK)_

Percy Weasley left his flat early as he always did on his work days. He lived in a muggle building and hadn't managed to learn silent or quiet apparation so he would walk a few streets away to the local park where his noise would not disturb his neighbours at this early hour.

He was content with how things were developing in his life. He had a good job working directly with the minister and he and his family had started building bridges long thought burnt beyond repair. The death of his mother and sister had hit him hard and made him realise that his family was important to him, but he would not change his job to please them, of that he was adamant.

He needn't have. As it turned out, the man he worked for and respected beyond all others had quickly stopped denying the return of the Dark Lord and had acknowledged him as a threat now giving him the same purpose as the Weasley family and making Percy's life much more bearable as all the people he cared for and admired were now working for the same cause; defeating the Dark Lord.

Percy kicked himself now for his foolishness in following his boss rather than his family's judgement in the situation but as he had been out of the loop, so to speak, and not seen any evidence for himself of the man's return, he eagerly followed the judgement of the minister believing that he knew best; he was the minister after all and his word should be believed above all others.

He entered the park where he would disapparate from and instantly felt the chill of the December morning being on the more open ground of the grassy land. He was about to make his journey to work when he caught a glimpse of a flash of red light and felt something impact him heavily in the back. Percy Weasley knew no more.

From the shadows Lucius Malfoy and Marcus Travers approached the fallen man and began putting their plan into action.

 _(BREAK)_

Cornelius Fudge frowned as he looked at the clock in his office; it was very unlike his assistant to be late. Before he could fret about the man's absence the door opened and Percy entered looking rather dishevelled.

"My apologies for my lateness Minister, it won't happen again" he said promisingly.

"See that it doesn't Mr Weasley" Cornelius replied firmly. "Now we have a few budget reports to go through so we can hopefully give more gold to the DMLE" he explained waving a thick folder in front of the younger man.

"Yes sir" Percy answered in his usual business-like tone. "Oh one other thing Minister" he added.

"What is it now?" Cornelius questioned the man irritably.

" _Avada Keavra"_ Percy spoke firmly, pointing his wand at his boss with a smug grin on his face.

Cornelius was in complete shock at the actions of his assistant and had no time to react, he simply sat dumbly as the curse rocketed towards him and hit him in the chest.

After killing his boss Percy casually placed his wand back up his sleeve and exited the office. Spotting the minister's secretary he approached and coughed to get her attention.

"The minister does not wish to be disturbed, he is very busy" he informed her firmly.

The girl just acknowledged the request with a nod and watched as the redhead left.

Percy made his way to the atrium and exited the building as he usually would; apparating back to the park after he had done so.

"Is it done?" Travers asked him as he appeared.

"Our dear minister has sadly been killed by his own assistant" Percy drawled his features beginning to shift. Where Percy had just been stood Lucius Malfoy looking very smug as the polyjuice potion wore off.

"Put the wand back on the boy and put him in his bed after giving him this potion, stun him again to make sure he doesn't wake up until the morning" he instructed Travers handing the man the potion and the wand.

"What is the potion?" he asked with a frown.

"Just something that will make him feel under the weather so he can't go to work, making him look more guilty" Malfoy explained before he apparated back home.

Travers shook his head at the man.

"Such a simple plan but so ingenious" he muttered before carrying out his instructions.

 _(BREAK)_

Percy Weasley awoke the next morning with the headache of all headaches. He rose from his bed and vomited on to the floor. Sweating and shaking uncontrollably he attempted to get ready for work but soon realised he neither had the energy or ability to without vomiting even more. He conceded to the fact that he was unwell and called for Hermes, his faithful owl.

He penned a note to the minister informing him that he was too unwell to come into work and would hopefully be better in the morning.

He sent the owl off and climbed back into bed almost immediately falling sleep once again, having no recollection of the events of the previous day.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry Potter was sat at his desk, somewhere he had spent a lot of time over the past few months. He had completed his NEWT theory work and had done equally well in them as he had in his OWLS resulting in him being very pleased with his achievements. Although he had completed those with relative ease, the masters work he was now attempting was much more difficult and arduous but he found it both enjoyable and satisfying.

As promised he had had daily contact with Daphne in some form, either through writing and using the mirror or visiting her on the rare Hogsmeade days. He missed the blonde much more than he had anticipated and found that if he was not immersed in work or training, it was almost unbearable.

He had spent a large amount of time with Sirius training at Potter Manor but the marauder had so far not been able to bring himself to face the portrait of Charlus and Dorea thus far citing guilt and shame as the reason. Try as he may, Harry could not get the older man to make the visit much to his own sadness. He knew his grandparents would forgive Sirius for his rashness and foolishness but his godfather would not be budged from his stubbornness.

He had however agreed to visit the Potter mausoleum on Halloween with his godson and also the Black crypt afterwards to pay his respects that way.

Harry found the visit as difficult as his first and openly wept by the gravesides of his relatives and his older friend, leaving a tribute by each one. If anything these experiences reinforced his desire to see the end of Riddle and his sycophant followers and the training sessions the two men had completed after the visit were much more intense and brutal. It was the only time that Harry saw his godfather without a smile. The man was just as focused as he was, his steel grey eyes reminding him very much of Arcturus. It was clear that Sirius was just as dedicated to the cause as Harry was and the younger man had no doubt that he could both trust and rely on the man he spent so much time with.

Hunting the Death Eaters had not gone as well as he would have liked, only managing to kill Gibbon in the intervening months but Harry guessed that they were all keeping a low profile as their master was away.

That was another thing that concerned him; things were quiet, a little too quiet for his liking. He knew Tom was attempting to recruit the vampires to his cause so he had become as familiar with them as possible, highlighting their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, should the need to fight them become a reality. He was not overly concerned about them all in all. Yes, they were powerful in their own right but he knew his magic was more than capable of handling them and he knew that they were in for a rude awakening if they tried to intervene on Riddle's behalf.

Bellatrix had written to him fairly often and kept him up to date with anything that she thought he would want to know. The fact that very little was happening meant that there was almost nothing to report. Her information had given them Gibbon but that is the only use she had truly been. According to her Rudolphus had not once left Malfoy Manor and she couldn't keep tabs on the blonde in his own house. It frustrated Harry having to wait but he knew it would be worth it, they would both die in good time.

He was pulled from his work as a patronus in the form of a phoenix and spoke in the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

"Can you attend an urgent meeting of the order?" the bird asked hurriedly.

"So much for quiet" Harry mumbled and sent off his reply.

He rose from his chair and stretched to remove the lethargy from himself before summoning his jacket and disapparating to Grimmauld Place to find out what had happened.

He entered to find the kitchen in complete chaos; it appeared that every member of the order were here and clearly panicked by something. Only Sirius, Dumbledore and Moody were sat at the table taking whatever had happened in their stride, though they certainly appeared to be disturbed by it.

Harry stood in the doorway and let the chaos ensue for a moment before he became irritable with the shouting. He frowned at the group before drawing his wand and flicking it causing a loud cannon-like blast to sound throughout the room, which immediately fell silent at the intrusion of the noise.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked looking around the room questioningly.

"The minister has been murdered" Kingsley informed him.

"And they've arrested Percy for it" Arthur added clearly upset by the implication that his son was involved.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"That doesn't sound right" he eventually declared. "Percy is not a killer and he certainly wouldn't kill Fudge, he worshipped the man" he added thoughtfully.

There were many nods of agreement throughout the room and Harry thought for a moment before he made a decision.

"Elgar" he called summoning the elf.

"Yes Master Harry" the elf replied as he entered the room.

"Can you bring me my special book?" he requested quietly.

"Yes sir" the elf answered before popping away.

"What happened?" Harry asked the group.

Around 10 different people tried to answer at the same time and Harry sighed.

"Kingsley" he called loudly. "You tell me" he instructed.

"He was killed with the killing curse and Percy was the last one to be seen in his company, Fudge's assistant confirmed it" he explained.

"Where is Percy now?" Harry asked with a frown.

"He owled in sick yesterday morning and was arrested earlier today" Kingsley replied. "His wand was definitely used but they found traces of a nausea inducing potion in his system".

"He's been set up" Harry responded confidently.

"It will be hard to prove" Moody cut in. "A potion means nothing and he remembers nothing. His mind has not been tampered with in any way and his wand will be enough to convict him. Veritaserum will be useless because he simply has no memory of yesterday" he finished his explanation gravely.

Elgar appeared in the room and handed Harry the book who immediately opened it and began writing.

 _Bellatrix,_

 _Do you know anything of Fudge's murder?_

 _Harry_

"What is that?" Elphias Doge questioned Harry with a frown.

"A source" Harry replied simply.

"One you are willing to share with us?" Doge asked.

"No" Harry responded firmly.

"And you expect us to trust and work with him Albus" Doge grumbled irritably.

"I am not a member of your group Mr Doge" Harry reminded the man. "Professor Dumbledore respects that I have my own methods and sources, you will do the same" he finished firmly.

Doge just shook his head at the younger man, he did not like being kept in the dark clearly.

Harry saw that the book was flashing and he quickly opened it again to read the reply.

 _No idea, will see what I can find for you sweetie_

 _Kisses_

"This may take a while" Harry announced taking a seat. "Anything new?" he asked the order members.

"Well I hear you have a girlfriend now" Tonks piped up with a grin.

"You wouldn't be jealous would you Nymphadora?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"A little" Tonks admitted. "But I don't like the affect you have on me" she continued with a scowl. "I like being in control too much to be embarrassed by the likes of you Potter" she finished.

"Doesn't mean I'll stop embarrassing you" Harry replied with a mischievous smile.

Tonks flushed as she caught the younger man's eyes and the emerald fire within them.

"Damn" she muttered shaking her head.

Sirius snickered at his cousin. He knew that no matter what, Harry would always have that effect on her and it was rather amusing.

"I do have an announcement to make" he said addressing the room.

Seeing that everyone was paying attention he stood and cleared his throat nervously.

"Marlene and I have decided we are getting married on Christmas Eve" he informed the room who, after a moments silence, began clapping, cheering and offering their congratulations.

"Where are you having it?" Minerva asked with a genuine smile at the couple.

Sirius looked nervously towards Harry and took a deep breath.

"We were hoping that Harry would allow us to have the wedding at the church in Godric's Hollow, where James and Lily got married" he spoke quietly. "They were best friends to both of us and it would be our way of having them there" he explained.

The group fell silent and watched the teen apprehensively waiting for him to respond.

Harry felt a slight lump form in his throat at the sentiment the couple were showing but nodded his consent before offering them a sincere smile, he was very touched by the gesture.

"Thank you" Marlene said gratefully pulling Harry into a hug.

Sirius smiled at his godson and also pulled him into a hug.

"Better get writing a speech if you're going to be my best man" he whispered adding a watery chuckle afterwards.

Harry blanched and shook his head vehemently.

"What about Remus?" he asked.

"We spoke about it and he thinks it should be you too" Sirius replied with a shrug.

Harry turned to look at the werewolf who nodded at him and smiled.

"Besides, imagine how boring his speech would be" Sirius said in mock disappointment, pointing at the man in question.

"At least I'd be sober enough to give a speech" Remus retorted.

"That wasn't my fault" Sirius replied with a frown. "Someone tampered with my drink".

"That was me and Lily" Marlene cut in with an amused grin. "She knew it would be inappropriate so we added a little something to your whiskey" she explained with a shrug.

"I knew it" Sirius exclaimed. "I knew there was a conspiracy against me, I worked for two weeks on that speech" he added with a grumble.

"I read that speech Sirius Black" Marlene said sternly. "It was a complete disgrace and Lily would have killed you if you did read it, especially if she would have seen that photo of James on his stag night" she finished with a knowing glare.

Sirius just grinned victoriously and Remus grimaced in remembrance.

"What photo?" Harry asked curiously.

Sirius flinched at the sound of his godson's voice, he had evidently forgotten that Harry was present.

"Now Harry just remember it was a harmless prank" Sirius said in a pleading tone.

Harry just stood with a raised eyebrow and waited for his godfather to continue. It was Remus that spoke however.

"This idiot" he said pointing to Sirius, "decided to take a very drunk Prongs to a muggle strip club and stick him to a pole" he added with a frown. "He then paid the women there to dance on him while he took some photos, they were completely naked" he continued. "All of them" he finished.

"If I remember Moony it was you that stripped James and joined in" Sirius cut in with a raised eyebrow.

Remus just shrugged.

"True but I was single and naked women" he reasoned.

Harry looked between the two men shaking his head before he chuckled.

"Yeah I can imagine Mum wouldn't have liked that" he said with a grin. "But just remember Sirius, it's your turn this time" he added mischievously.

Sirius blanched and Remus roared with laughter.

"You will not be having a stag night Sirius Black" Marlene broke in with her hands on her hips.

"Why?" Sirius whined.

"Because you can't be trusted to not end up being locked up" Marlene responded with a glare. "I remember all of you shenanigans very well, because I was the one who had to come and fetch you and I will not be doing that on my wedding day mister" she finished poking the man in the chest.

Harry and Remus laughed at Sirius.

"And Natalie will be here, I will not have her exposed to you and your foolishness" Marlene added firmly.

Sirius just pouted but nodded all the same.

"Under the thumb much" Harry muttered causing Remus to laugh again.

Sirius just glared at the pair.

 _(BREAK)_

Bellatrix Lestrange left her room to find her sister to see if she could shed some light on the Fudge situation, this was her house after all so she was more likely to be privy to information of what was going all, not forgetting that her husband was one of the Dark Lord's main servants. Bellatrix herself had no hand in the ministers murder, she had simply been following instructions by training recruits along with Dolohov and had been very busy doing so; they were mostly incompetent buffoons after all and needed as much help as they could get.

Narcissa had become rather quiet and subdued in recent weeks. Bellatrix was busy but always made time to visit her sister, something that couldn't be said of the other woman. She would hide herself away from everyone and Bellatrix assumed she just missed her son and shared the same distaste for the people they were sharing the large house with.

She entered the room where her sister would usually be found and noticed Narcissa jump in surprise at her entrance.

"Oh, it's you Bella" Narcissa said sounding a little relieved.

Bellatrix frowned at her sister but shook her head dismissively.

"What do you know about Fudge's murder" Bellatrix asked bluntly.

Narcissa paled at the question but quickly shook her head.

"Nothing" she denied unbelievingly.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her younger sister.

"I know when you're lying to me Cissy" she said knowingly. "What is it?" She questioned further.

Narcissa sighed and swallowed deeply.

"I heard Lucius and Travers talking about killing him and framing his assistant or something" she admitted.

Bella nodded. She knew her sister knew something about it.

"So they did it?" Narcissa asked nervously.

"They did apparently" Bella said with a shrug.

"Talking to Potter still then?" Narcissa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Shh" Bellatrix hissed at her sister and frowned deeply. "I'm just ensuring my future" she added dismissively.

"You're playing a dangerous game" Narcissa stated shaking her head.

Bellatrix shrugged.

"It's my game" she said casually. "What is wrong with you Cissy?" she asked, frowning again.

"What do you mean?" the young woman replied.

"You're not yourself" Bellatrix answered simply. "You're jumpy and nervous and you just hide in here" she explained gesturing around the room.

Narcissa sighed.

"I just want this all to be over" She responded quietly. "I just want my life back".

"And you will one way or the other" Bellatrix said. "If Potter wins then nothing changes and if the Dark Lord wins you will have your home back" she explained.

"But not my son" Narcissa replied emotionally.

"Or Lucius" Bella added. "Potter is determined to kill him".

"I know" Narcissa said sadly. "I've almost accepted that" she added.

"You don't seem that bothered about Lucius" Bella said with a raised eyebrow.

"Things are complicated" Narcissa replied with a shrug. "He's different. Potter said he led the attack on the orphanage" she finished quietly.

"He did" Bella shrugged. "I heard him bragging about his escape" she added in explanation.

"That's not the man I fell in love with" Narcissa intoned sadly.

"Lucius has always been a scum bag" Bellatrix declared. "He just hid it when he had to and now he has no reason to, surely you knew that Cissy. He has spent the last 15 years bribing and blackmailing his way to the top".

"I know" Narcissa sighed. "I just never thought he would hurt children".

"You don't climb the ranks here with morals" Bellatrix replied with a frown. "I've seen the man do things that even made me sick. Rape, torture and other disgusting things, I didn't think you were so ignorant to it all" she finished disbelievingly.

"You're hardly one to point fingers Bella" Narcissa returned darkly.

"I admit I've taken part in my fair share of torture but I have never harmed a child or sexually abused anyone" she said heatedly. "But if the chance came along I couldn't promise that Potter would be safe" she added biting her lip with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Potter is still a child" Narcissa pointed out. "And you essentially made the Longbottom boy an orphan with what you all did to his parents" she added.

"Well actually the boy's father stunned me quite quickly, he was very powerful" Bellatrix explained with a frown. "I am guilty for intending to torture them but I didn't actually get the chance to, that was Rudolphus, Crouch and Rabastan" she finished flaring her nostrils at the mention of her husband.

"Well everyone thinks you did, that's why you went to Azkaban" Narcissa responded, a little surprised at her sisters admission.

"I didn't exactly get a fair trial" Bellatrix shrugged. "It was better that I was there, the Dark Lord was very angry with those who denied serving him" she added.

"I know, Lucius was in pain for almost a month" Narcissa said knowingly.

"Are you going to go to Potter if things get worse?" Bellatrix questioned quietly.

Narcissa just shrugged.

"Remember to just go if you need to, at least you will be away from it all, it doesn't seem like you have much to stick around for" Bellatrix replied before exiting the room.

She knew her sister needed some time to really think about things and she knew that she was torn. She herself also had things to do. Firstly she had to reply to Potter and then get back to training the bumbling idiots she had been left in charge of.

 _(BREAK)_

"So I will call an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot first thing" Dumbledore explained to the order.

Harry was not happy about this; tomorrow was a Hogsmeade day and he was planning on seeing Daphne. He sighed knowing that it was unavoidable and that Daphne would understand. He still did not like it though.

He noticed the book in front of him flash gold again and knew that Bellatrix had responded. Everyone else at the table seemed to have noticed also as they fell silent and waited for Harry to speak.

 _Lucius and Travers framed Fudge's assistant, that's all I know._

 _Kisses._

He penned a quick thank you before he addressed the room.

"Malfoy and Travers framed him but we don't know how" he explained.

"Then we have to capture one of them" Sirius cut in. "Percy will have to sit tight" he added apologetically to the assembled Weasley's who nodded reluctantly but accepted the news.

"Malfoy dies as soon as possible" Harry said darkly. "You can have Travers" he added. "Prison is too good for Malfoy" he finished.

"Then we best get working on catching Travers" Sirius said.

"It won't be hard" Harry mused aloud. "He's on the Wizengamot and no doubt they want to have someone elected who is sympathetic to them, they will need every vote they can get" he finished.

"We can't let that happen" Elphias Doge said urgently.

"Then we need to back someone we can trust" Remus cut in.

"But who?" Minerva asked with a frown.

"That is something for you to decide" Harry said rising from his seat. "Politics is not my thing so I will just vote for who I think will be the better choice" he explained. "Now I have tell Daphne I won't be seeing her tomorrow" he finished shaking his head.

Sirius flicked his wand causing the sound of a whip cracking to sound throughout the room causing a few to chuckle.

"You're marrying her" Harry said simply pointing to Marlene who waved at her intended with an innocent smile.

Most in the room laughed at the marauder who was quickly cowed.

"Can I have a word before you go Harry?" Bill asked the teen.

Harry nodded and led the man from the kitchen.

"What is it?" he asked the redhead.

"You can cross Rowle off of your list" Bill said gravely.

Harry nodded.

"Got him then?" he questioned.

"We did" Bill replied. "Rookwood is next" he added seriously.

"I hope he suffered for what he did" Harry stated questioningly.

"He still is" Bill responded with a shrug.

"Good" Harry intoned with a frown, he did not want to know the specifics. "Let me know how it goes with Rookwood" he requested.

Bill nodded and Harry disapparated back to the Black house. He still spent much of his time here and found that he studied better in the more cosy atmosphere.

He removed the mirror from his desk draw and spoke Daphne's name into it.

"Hey" the blonde greeted him with a warm smile. "What's wrong?" she asked seeing the serious look that Harry was giving her.

"Fudge has been murdered" Harry informed her. "There's going to be an emergency meeting in the morning so I won't be able to make it, I'm sorry" he finished sadly.

He really looked forward to seeing the girl when they both had the chance.

"It's ok" Daphne said reassuringly. "I understand, but you will be making it up to me" she added with a grin.

"Well I can give you an excuse to dress up" Harry tried.

"For what exactly?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well Marlene and Sirius are getting married on Christmas eve and I would like you to be my date" Harry replied with a smile.

"They are?" Daphne asked in surprise. "Why should I be your date?" she asked further, her eyes alight with amusement.

"Because there isn't anyone else I'd rather take" Harry answered sincerely causing the blonde to smile.

"Then I would be glad to go with you Mr Potter" Daphne replied. "It looks like we have shopping to do" she added with a smirk.

"Shopping?" Harry almost yelped.

He had been shopping with the girl before and it was very trying on the young man. He had no idea what he was getting himself into when he had agreed to go with her but had vowed by the end of the trip that it would not be happening again.

"Of course, we need to get you a suit and I will need to get myself a new dress that will match" Daphne explained knowingly.

"I guess that's true" Harry conceded reluctantly.

"I promise it won't take too long" Daphne cooed innocently.

"That's what you said last time" Harry pointed out in an almost whining tone.

"Stop sulking Potter" Daphne said with a chuckle. "Even though you do look adorable when you pout" she added.

"I am not adorable" Harry huffed with a pout. "I am ruggedly handsome" he stated with a nod.

"You spend too much time with Sirius" Daphne responded flatly.

"You're probably right" Harry agreed with a shake of his head. "Any way I am sorry about tomorrow" he added genuinely.

"I've already forgiven you" Daphne answered. "Especially knowing I have an excuse to buy a new dress".

Harry just shook his head at the girl.

"I don't think they've told Natalie yet so keep it to yourself" Harry requested.

"My lips are sealed Mr Potter, let me know what happens tomorrow though" she requested herself.

"I will" Harry promised.

"Good, now I need my beauty sleep" Daphne announced.

"I will call tomorrow" Harry replied with a soft smile.

"You better" Daphne returned with a mock glare.

"Goodnight Daphne" Harry said with a final shake of his head.

"Goodnight" Daphne replied with an amused grin.

Harry placed the mirror back in the draw and looked at his work with a frown.

"Bed" he muttered to himself.

He knew that tomorrow was going to be a long and tiring day and he needed to be well rested for it.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort looked calculatingly at the young man in front of him and decided that he would give him a chance, the task after all should not be particularly difficult and if the boy was killed or captured it was no loss to the Dark Lord.

"So you know what you have to do?" he questioned the young man.

"Yes my Lord" was the response he received followed by a short bow.

"Then ensure you are ready, it may be an easy task but it is of the most paramount importance, your life depends on your success" the Dark Lord finished firmly.

The much younger man bowed again before leaving his master to his thoughts.

He had just returned to Malfoy Manor from a trip that had lasted several months but it had been worth the effort in some ways.

He had managed to locate the vampires he sought after a long and difficult search but they were certainly much more difficult than he had anticipated. They were rigid and unwavering in their negotiations but the Dark Lord had managed to secure their allegiance in some way though he did not trust them entirely.

What struck Voldemort as odd was the fact that there had been no mention whatsoever of Harry Potter and he did not know if he should be grateful for that. It was clear that the vampires had not heard about the boy's exploits thus demonstrating further the isolation they had chosen to live in. If they were ignorant of Potter and his abilities then it certainly was not the Dark Lord's deed to inform them of what their new enemy was capable of. He certainly knew that Potter could handle the vampires in a fight but he knew there were those in the opposition that would not have that ability and that is what the Dark Lord was relying on. He would recommend that they do not attack Potter personally citing that he was only his to kill and none who served him would attack the boy.

Along with the vampires he had managed to round up around another one hundred or so followers on his travels, not an entirely satisfactory number but the name of Potter had travelled into the continent and his reputation there was one of a merciless killer. Some of the darker members of society feared Potter much more than they did the Dark Lord after hearing of how he would cut down his enemies quickly, efficiently and quite unpleasantly.

The Dark Lord shook his head.

The past several months had been tiring and for now he just needed to rest and hope the boy would carry out his task successfully in the morning; it would certainly make things much easier if he knew what he was facing in the form of Harry Potter.

The name still made the Dark Lord feel nervous and uneasy but if things went according to plan tomorrow he would be able to lay his fears to rest, kill the teen and continue with his bid for dominance.

 _(BREAK)_

As he knew would happen an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot was called the next morning and Harry along with Sirius found himself in the chamber surrounded by the members.

Sirius, not having a seat or votes opted to sit in the public gallery and keep vigil over what would be a long meeting. He did not trust most of the people in this room and wanted to make sure nothing untoward happened while his godson was in such a public place with so many potential enemies.

The sound of a gavel being rapt on a wooden desk could be heard and the room fell silent as Dumbledore addressed them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot I am sure by now that you are aware of the unfortunate and suspicious death of Minister Fudge" he began sorrowfully. "It is our duty today to name a new minister as the current climate in our community necessitates an immediate election, so I pass the floor to any who wish to nominate. You will give your nomination and your reasons behind it" he instructed and waited for the nominations to begin.

"I nominate Gaston Yaxley" Lucius Malfoy called out smugly. "He has always been an honourable man and is exactly what we need for wizarding Britain to not only thrive but improve immensely" he finished with a bow before taking his seat.

Harry knew this was the Dark Lord's man and shook his head while glaring at Malfoy who paled noticeably.

"I nominate Albus Dumbledore" an older man stood and looked towards the chief warlock who shook his head.

"I appreciate the nomination Tiberius" Dumbledore said sincerely. "But my place is at Hogwarts protecting and teaching the children of our world" he added with a bow.

"I nominate Amelia Bones" Augusta Longbottom announced. "She is the most logical choice and her loyalty to the ministry cannot be doubted" she explained glaring at Malfoy.

Amelia looked surprised but accepted the nomination with a nod while Malfoy looked mutinous.

"I nominate Rufus Scrimgeour" Amos Diggory piped up and Harry noted the man looked terrible since he last saw him. The loss of his son had clearly had a very deep effect on the man. "He is currently the head of the auror force and it is unlikely that he could be murdered by a mere assistant" Diggory continued.

The was some murmuring amongst a large amount of members of the ensemble at this observation.

"And what happens to our auror force if either of those become Minister?" Robert Davis asked seriously.

There was more murmuring amongst the crowd that was broken by the man Harry recognised as the person that had nominated Dumbledore.

"Then I nominate Harry Potter" he exclaimed loudly causing a lot of loud talk to ensue. "There is no man we could trust more than him, we know where his loyalties lie" the man explained.

Harry was shocked and a little flattered at the nomination but stood nonetheless causing the room to fall silent.

"I am only 16 years old, I neither have the experience or desire to ever be minister" he said firmly. "I thank you for your nomination but I refuse it" he said much to the surprise to many who had expected him to jump at the chance.

"Then I nominate Sirius Black" Tiberius tried again causing a similar response from the crowd.

Sirius stood from where he was sat, shaking his head.

"My place is by my godson's side on the battlefield, not in a stuffy office surrounded by parchment" he explained. "But I do have a suggestion if either Madame Bones or Head Auror Scrimgeour is elected" he added.

"It is not your place to make suggestion Black, you have no seat here" Yaxley pointed out with a sneer.

"But I do" Harry said heatedly rising to his feet "and I myself have a suggestion" he added.

"Then let us hear it Lord Potter, or is it Lord Black today?" Jonathan Greengrass asked with a grin.

"Either will do Lord Greengrass" Harry replied with a bow and a smile. "I would suggest that if either Madame Bones or Head Auror Scrimgeour is elected then we ensure that we have suitable people to take their place in their current positions" he suggested.

"Who can take the place of the Head of the Auror department?" Jonathan asked with a frown.

"Gawain Robards is more than capable of the job" Scrimgeour spoke as he stood.

"And what about the head of the DMLE?" Amos Diggory asked sceptically.

The room was silent as each member pondered the decision and it was Harry that broke it.

"Why not Alastor Moody?" he asked.

"You must be as insane as him to even recommend that lunatic" Yaxley said incredulously.

"He is the most capable fighter other than Voldemort I have come up against and has more than enough experience to lead the department. We don't need a diplomat in a time of war, we need a man of action and Alastor Moody is definitely that" Harry spoke firmly.

"He is completely off his rocker, the man is insane" "Malfoy shouted, clearly not happy about Moody being in charge of the DMLE.

"Well maybe a little bit of insanity is what we need" Harry shrugged. "It would certainly make the Death Eaters think twice about attacking if our auror force was instructed to kill by the head of the department" he mused aloud. "You do of course want the threat against our nation to be stopped don't you Lord Malfoy?" he added questioningly.

Malfoy just sat down and was silent and Harry shot him a promising glare.

"I think Lord Potter's idea has merit" Amelia Bones cut in. "I know that both myself and Rufus would happily sign the decree giving the aurors that level of power when confronting the Dark Lord and his followers" she said knowingly.

Rufus Scrimgeour nodded firmly at her declaration.

The obvious Dark Lord sympathisers in the crowd looked very pale. This was certainly not going the way they had wanted or expected.

"I vote that we continue this meeting tomorrow, we have much to think about" Yaxley addressed the room.

"Seconded" Malfoy said urgently followed by every person sat in the section. Harry took a mental note of all of those people.

"Very well" Dumbledore sighed. "We can't hold a vote with a third of the council missing" he declared shaking his head. "but the vote will take place tomorrow" he said firmly. "Or I will invoke article 7 and we will vote in your absence" he added sternly to the men who were already preparing to leave. "Before we all adjourn I do have an announcement of sorts" Dumbledore addressed the room loudly.

There were a few grumbles heard from the crowd, even Harry was feeling impatient by this point.

"As we are all aware one of our beaches was attacked by giants and Dementors earlier this year" Dumbledore began. "And thanks to Lord Potter and Sirius Black, the damage and fatalities were minimal" he continued. "After receiving an influx of mail over the last several months commending the two men Cornelius and I, before his untimely death, had decided to award both Lord Potter and Mr Black with an order of merlin second class for their assistance in a time that it was truly needed and their continued service in keeping our community safe. So if the two men would care to join me to receive their awards" he finished with a smile.

Both Harry and Sirius dumbly and shared a look of surprise, neither had expected this at all.

"It is my great pleasure to award both Lord Harry James Potter and Sirius Orion Black with the order of merlin second class" he announced as he handed both men their silver medal. "Usually there would be an awards ceremony but in the current climate it is not safe to do so" Dumbledore explained.

Most of the room applauded the two men but Harry and Sirius could see several sneers from a reasonable number of people.

"This meeting will reconvene tomorrow morning at 9am" Dumbledore announced dismissively and Malfoy and several other members rushed from the room as quickly as possible.

"We will have to wait until tomorrow before we get Travers" Sirius whispered to Harry who just nodded his understanding, it would look suspicious if the man was absent and no doubt Malfoy would find a way to use it to his advantage, probably by having the vote postponed again.

"Damn" Sirius muttered.

"What?" Harry questioned.

"Order of merlin second class, it was only a year ago I was on the run" he explained shaking his head.

"How times change" Harry mused knowing how much things could change in a little over a year.

"Training?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded.

"Better stay sharp" he replied and the two men exited the ministry to spend some time on one of the most important factors in their lives.

 _(BREAK)_

The young man watched hidden from the crowds of students from behind the Hog's Head bar waiting for his target to emerge. He knew that she would be coming here as he had seen her do so every other Hogsmeade trip he had made as a student.

He had successfully stunned and bound a third year Ravenclaw student as he passed him alone, stole his robes and hidden him from view. He drank the polyjuice potion after adding one of the boy's hairs that his master had given him so it was no bother if he was seen carrying out his task, the Ravenclaw would be blamed.

After a considerable amount of time had passed he spotted his target approaching and smiled in anticipation; he knew that he would be rewarded by his master for this.

As the woman passed him he jumped from his place of hiding and threw the portkey on her which immediately activated and sent the woman on her way with a look of shock and surprise clearly etched on her face.

"Didn't see that coming did you" the boy intoned with a chuckle.

"What the hell are you doing?" an angry voice cut in pulling the boy from his victorious thoughts.

The boy turned in shock towards the intrusion and smiled predatorily at the trio that had interrupted him.

"Greengrass" the boy sneered. "I owe you this for what happened to me and my father because of your boyfriend" he spat as he drew his wand.

Daphne was surprised to see the young Ravenclaw draw a wand on her and speak with such hatred in his voice. She clearly remembered what Harry had said to her all those months ago in this moment.

" _If you are ever threatened do not hesitate to defend yourself"_ he had said firmly. _"Attack first and ask questions later"._

She quickly drew her wand to see the young man looking at her with pure venom in his eyes.

" _Avada.."_ he began but Daphne simply flicked her wand and a pink ball of light rocketed towards the boy hitting him in the groin and causing an explosion of blood and gore to erupt from the area.

The boy screamed and fell to the floor in complete agony.

"Daphne" Tracey said urgently. "What did you do?" she asked seriously.

"I defended myself" Daphne replied quietly, clearly a little shocked by the effect of the spell, it was certainly different from seeing it on a real person than a training dummy.

"Where did you learn that?" Astoria asked just as shocked as the other girl.

"Harry taught me" Daphne answered simply.

The trio then approached the boy who no longer looked like the third year Ravenclaw he was only moments ago and immediately recognised him.

"Nott?" Tracey asked disbelievingly.

The boy just whimpered on the ground bleeding profusely.

"Why did you put a portkey on Trelawney?" Daphne asked confused by the action.

"The Dark Lord has need of her and he will reward me for getting her for him" the boy gritted out.

"What on earth is going on here?" a stern voice cut in as Professor McGonagall approached the group.

"Nott put a portkey on Trelawney and tried to kill Daphne" Tracey explained hurriedly.

Minerva pursed her lips and sent off a patronus to Madame Pomfrey before using a cauterization charm on the boy.

"Not a particular nice spell to be hit with" she mumbled, seeing the damage that had been done to the boy. "He will live though and be spending a lot of time in Azkaban" she finished firmly before binding the boy and levitating him.

"It looks like we will have to see where he has sent Professor Trelawney, I doubt it is a pleasant place" she added not understanding the significance of the kidnapping. "Professor Dumbledore is in a Wizengamot meeting right now so we will have to call the aurors after we get Mr Nott looked at" she continued with a frown. "I'm sure they will understand that you only defended yourself Miss Greengrass" she concluded knowingly.

"Thank you Professor" Daphne said in obvious relief.

None of the group were aware of the significance of Trelawney being kidnapped but Daphne promised that she would ask Harry about it later when he called her on the mirror. She had no idea how long the Wizengamot meeting would be so she could only wait for him to contact her before she could inform him of what had happened.

 _(BREAK)_

It was several hours later that the Dark Lord stood over the now lifeless body of Sybil Trelawney looking both confused and concerned.

"The power I know not" he mumbled to himself. "There is no power I do not know of" he growled irritably. "My equal?" he questioned beginning to pace in thought. "The boy is skilled, there is no doubt but the damn thing doesn't say who will win" he shouted banging his hand on the table in frustration. "It will have to be sooner rather than later" he whispered to himself in realisation. "The longer I leave it the more skilled the boy will become" he added frantically. "I still have Nagini" he continued, relaxing a little. "As long as I have her then I cannot be killed, she must be guarded by someone I can trust implicitly" he decided.

But he trusted no one that much, only one of his followers had been unwavering and was intelligent enough to know what to do if given the instruction.

"It is a necessary risk" he decided reluctantly.

He was pulled from his musings by the arrival of a nervous looking Lucius.

"My Lord" the man intoned with a bow. "There is a bit of a situation" he informed his master with a swallow.

"What is it Lucius?" Voldemort asked him, clearly annoyed by the intrusion.

"Fudge is dead" Malfoy replied.

"I see no problem with that, he was becoming a hindrance" the Dark Lord responded with a frown.

"Well I and Travers killed him and now they are voting to replace him, but it has taken an unexpected turn" he explained grimly.

Voldemort just narrowed his eyes at the man, willing him to continue.

"Bones and Scrimgeour have been nominated along with Yaxley for us" Lucius continued.

"They would be strong candidates for the opposition" the Dark Lord conceded reluctantly.

"The real problem is Potter my Lord" Lucius returned gravely.

"He is always the problem" Voldemort spat. "What has our hero done now Lucius?" he asked dangerously.

"He has suggested that Alastor Moody replaces Amelia Bones as head of the DMLE and both Scrimgeour and Bones have agreed to sign a decree allowing the aurors to use lethal force against us" Lucius explained unhappily.

The Dark Lord growled. He relied on the aurors using not lethal spells. If his followers were captured they were easily released but if they were killed then discontent would find its way into the ranks and that would not do.

"Then ensure Yaxley is elected" Voldemort demanded.

"My Lord, we carry only around a third of the votes, the neutrals will not side with us" Lucius explained.

"Your reputation has certainly fallen Lucius" the Dark Lord mused aloud. "A year ago you could have rigged any election and now you are nothing" he added with a shake of his head.

"My apologies my Lord, I was not prepared for my son's foolishness or Fudge growing a spine" Lucius replied sincerely.

"Then make sure Yaxley has no opposition, take who you need and eliminate the competition until there is none" Voldemort instructed. "Take a few of our new friends so they can see first-hand what we are capable of" he added with a smirk.

"Yes my Lord" Malfoy said obediently and left the room to gather the most capable people he could find.

" _Nagini, dinner time"_ Voldemort hissed throwing a final distasteful look at the corpse of the Hogwarts Divination professor before sitting back down to his thoughts.

"Soon" he muttered. "It has to be soon".

 _(BREAK)_

Upon leaving the company of the Dark Lord Lucius immediately went on the search for capable men to help him with his task. He entered on of the parlour rooms where most of the Death Eaters would spend time when they weren't being trained by Bella and Antonin.

He spotted Travers and Rudolphus immediately talking to a group of 4 vampires.

"Rudolphus, Demetrius" he began addressing Lestrange and Travers. "Go and fetch Bella, Antonin and four of the werewolves and meet me in my office" he instructed.

Rudolphus scowled at the blonde. He hated being told what to do but he complied nonetheless. He was hoping he would be able to get out of the manor for a while, he had been stuck here for months with nothing to do.

"You four" Lucius continued talking to the vampires, come with me, this is something you won't want to miss" he added with a smirk.

The four vampires just shrugged and followed the blonde to the office where they were shortly joined by the Lestrange couple, Dolohov, Travers and a few werewolves.

The werewolves and the vampires eyed each other with equal distaste marring their already feral features.

"Enough" Lucius demanded. "We have an important mission tonight" he informed the group.

"Bella" he said turning to the woman who looked bored. "You will take Travers, Rudolphus and our vampire friends, your job is to eliminate Amelia Bones by any means necessary" he explained.

Bellatrix just raised an eyebrow at the man and shrugged, continuing to look bored by the man.

"Antonin and you four" he added to the remainder of the people in the room. "We will be paying a visit to Rufus Scrimgeour for the same purpose" he clarified. "We should have no problems dealing with him" he added confidently. "We leave in one hour" he finished dismissively.

Bellatrix left the room with a smirk; she finally had a chance to get rid of her idiot husband as she had been waiting for for years now. She extracted the book that Potter had given her and wrote a note to the boy, hoping he would show.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Sirius exited the training room after a few difficult hours of exercise and spell work. They entered the drawing room and each took a seat to rest their aching bodies for a moment.

"Who do you think will win tomorrow?" Harry questioned his godfather conversationally.

"As long as Yaxley doesn't win then it doesn't matter" Sirius answered with a shake of his head. "Both Bones and Scrimgeour are loyal to the ministry and both capable" he added with a shrug.

Harry just nodded, he had very little interest in politics but certainly did not want one of Riddle's men in power. He frowned as he caught a flash of gold in the corner of his eye and picked up the book that he used to communicate with Bellatrix.

 _Sweetie,_

 _Bones and Scrimgeour will be attacked at 8pm, Rudolphus will be with me at Bones' home._

 _Kisses._

"Shit" Harry cursed. "What is the time?" he asked Sirius urgently.

"Five past 8" Sirius said with a frown. "Why?" he questioned.

"Bones and Scrimgeour are being attacked" Harry replied frantically. "Do you know where either of them live?" he added hurriedly.

"I know where Amelia lives but not Scrimgeour" Sirius replied with wide eyes, immediately on the alert.

Harry nodded.

"Let's go" he commanded.

Sirius did not hesitate and immediately grabbed his godson by the shoulders, disapparating the duo.

 _(BREAK)_

The pair arrived outside the already destroyed gates of what Harry assumed was Bones Manor. Without a moment's pause the two men began sprinting towards the house where they could already hear the sounds of the expected confrontation taking place. Harry removed his wand and sent off a patronus, kicking himself for not thinking of it straight away.

"Dumbledore may be able to help Scrimgeour" he explained to the older man who simply nodded as they continued their run towards the house.

They arrived at the front door to find had already been blown off its hinges and could hear the spell fire and crashing furniture coming from within the home.

"Stick together" Harry instructed.

"I've got your back" Sirius replied, gesturing for the younger man to lead the way.

Harry smiled gratefully at his godfather and entered the house immediately identifying that the sounds were coming from above them.

The pair made their way quickly but vigilantly up the stairs to see Bellatrix, Rudolphus, Travers and four unknown men attempting to break down a large oak door that had clearly been protected very well.

"Vampires" Sirius whispered with a sigh.

Harry just nodded. The two had prepared for this eventuality after Harry had learnt from Bellatrix that Voldemort was trying to recruit them.

He held up three fingers and counted backwards to indicate when they would fire their spells, Sirius's eyes never leaving his intended target.

When he retracted his final finger the two fired of their chosen spell, one chosen specifically to deal with vampires. The two watched as a pair of wooden stakes careened from each of their wands and found their targets. Three of the vampires were killed instantly as the stakes went straight through their exposed backs and embedded themselves somewhere in their chest cavity.

The fourth found a stake protruding from his mouth as it had entered through the back of his neck and exited through the orifice, pinning him to the very door he was trying to break down.

The three Death Eaters were clearly surprised by the turn of events and looked towards where the attack had come from to spot a furious looking Harry Potter and Sirius Black.

"It's Potter" Travers shouted unnecessarily.

"Black is mine" Rudolphus roared already aiming his wand at the man who killed his brother.

Sirius had already began firing curses at the man with complete abandon, already putting the man on guard.

Harry fired a series of hexes and jinxes towards Travers, attempting to subdue the man. He knew he needed him alive to clear Percy's name so had to be selective with the spells he fired.

Bellatrix just watched the unfolding's with a look of anticipation not even attempting to aide her colleague or husband.

"Don't just stand there you dumb bitch" Rudolphus shouted. "Help us" he commanded.

"No can do Rudy" Bellatrix simpered. "Potter is my head of house and you are fighting a Black" she explained with a shrug.

"The Dark Lord will kill you" The man exclaimed in shock, seeing that his wife truly was not going to help him.

Bellatrix gave a mad giggle.

"But not before you die dear husband of mine" she said coldly pointing at the man who balked for a second.

That split second distraction was all Sirius needed to land a curse, a very unpleasant one at that.

Rudolphus fell to the floor screaming and began frantically clawing at his skin trying to remove some invisible creatures that were devouring him.

The curse was a psychedelic one coupled with a selective withering curse. The victim would think they were being consumed by creatures only they could see but in reality it was the withering curse selectively disintegrating parts of the flesh until none remained, leaving a heap of muscle, bone and sinew.

Sirius walked towards the fallen form of Rudolphus Lestrange and looked at him with complete loathing.

"That was for my grandfather" he whispered dangerously. "And this is for me" he added through gritted teeth before he stomped with all his might on the man's throat causing him to begin suffocating under the stress of his now collapsed larynx.

Sirius watched the life leave the man's eyes not feeling an ounce of pity of remorse. Rudolphus Lestrange was a disgusting pig and he died in a much kinder manner than he deserved.

When he was satisfied that the man was in fact dead he turned to see that Harry had subdued Travers and had him bound and unconscious on the ground.

Harry walked towards Sirius and Bellatrix and addressed the woman with a whisper.

"Go" he instructed. "You're no use to us locked up" he explained.

Bellatrix nodded gratefully. "The Dark Lord has returned" she informed the duo. "And now my husband is dead I want my name back" she requested.

"Consider it done" Harry answered with a shrug.

Bellatrix smiled her first genuine smile in years and placed a kiss on the teens cheek before turning and fleeing from the house.

"She is insane isn't she" Harry stated.

"Completely off her nut" Sirius agreed.

The two approached the door and Harry knocked tentatively.

"Madame Bones" he called. "It's safe to come out now" he informed the woman.

"Who is it?" a worried voice questioned from the other side.

"Harry Potter and Sirius Black, it was me that bought you Pettigrew in your office, he was missing half of his right arm and you brought in Moody and Shacklebolt to supervise him" he said reassuringly.

The door opened a crack as Amelia looked at the pair with a frown. The relief in her eyes was evident as she recognised them and opened the door fully eliciting a groan from the vampire still attached to it via the wooden stake.

Amelia yelped in surprise and Harry approached the man.

"So you follow Tom Riddle?" Harry questioned him darkly. "What did he have to promise you for you to put your hatred towards us aside and follow him like lap dogs?" he added.

"We aren't lap dogs" the vampire spat. "He promised us free reign on anyone we wanted to feed on as long as they weren't his men and we promised him we would fight when needed" he gritted out.

"Well you and your people made a mistake coming here" Harry said dangerously. "There is nothing but suffering and death, you will be treated the same as the rest of his followers, and we" he said gesturing between himself and his godfather, "kill without hesitation" he explained promisingly.

The vampire swallowed nervously. They were told that it would be easy pickings here with plenty to feed on an no danger to themselves.

"Tonight is your lucky night however" Harry continued. "You are going to take the bodies of your three brothers here and you are going to leave Britain" he instructed.

"That's not my choice" the vampire responded desperately.

"Then tell whoever's choice it is because next time there will be none of you walking away and that is a promise" he hissed at the creature who would definitely have paled if such a thing were possible.

He nodded weakly and Harry summoned the stake from the back of his neck and deftly caught it while glaring at the vampire, who after a moment of pulling himself together gathered the bodies of his fallen comrades and left as quickly as possible.

"Thank you both" Amelia cut in gratefully. "That door wouldn't have held much longer, but how did you know the attack was happening?" she asked with a frown, ever the auror.

"I have my sources" Harry replied with a shrug. "You'll want to question Travers about the murder of Fudge and cross Rudolphus Lestrange off your wanted to list" he explained indicating the two men.

Amelia wrinkled her nose in disgust at what remained of Lestrange but nodded her agreement.

"I'll fetch the aurors then" she intoned.

"You might want to send some to Scrimgeour too" Sirius piped up. "He was attacked but we have no idea where he lives so we came here and Harry sent a message to Dumbledore to help him, I don't know if he made it there in time" he finished seriously.

"I will take it from here then but really thank you" she said again. "Though I am surprised you still remember where I live Mr Black" She added with a raised eyebrow. "It has been many years since you were last here".

"Oh you didn't" Harry exclaimed knowingly before placing his head in his hands and shaking it.

"He did" Amelia replied with a smirk. "Until my father caught him in my bed the next morning" she explained clearly amused.

"I couldn't sit down for a week" Sirius grumbled.

"I wasn't allowed to leave the house for a month" Amelia retorted.

"I don't want to hear this" Harry moaned covering his ears with his hands desperately.

The two older people laughed before Sirius clapped his godson on the shoulder.

"Come on let's get you out of here and I will tell you about the time Remus walked in on your mum in the shower" he said with glee.

"Oh it gets worse" Harry responded weakly.

"You know, I remember Moony crying" Sirius reminisced much to Harry's dismay.

Amelia watched in amusement as the two men left and felt a stab of sympathy for the young Potter.

"Having Sirius Black as a godfather must be very embarrassing most of the time" she mused before she sent a message off to the aurors.

It had been a strange night but she was grateful that it hadn't ended in disaster for her and now she was more resolved than before to do whatever is necessary to end the threat the Dark Lord held over the people of Britain.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore stood in the front garden of the home belonging to Rufus Scrimgeour shaking his head ruefully. He hadn't made it in time to save the man as evident by the body that was lying by his feet in front of the now burning building.

Today had been a very bad day for Albus. Not only had he not been able to save the next possible minister of magic he had learnt that Sybil Trelawney had been kidnapped by the Dark Lord, who by now would be aware of what the prophecy was.

He was quickly sent on his way by the aurors who arrived after explaining what he knew had happened. The four men were clearly saddened by the death of their boss who was a very respected man in the wizarding community.

Albus disapparated away feeling rather downtrodden after the events of the day. He knew that Harry wasn't particularly bothered about the prophecy itself but he felt that he had let the young man down once again and a sense of guilt set in on the old man. He knew he would be forgiven by Harry but he was not sure if he could forgive himself anymore for all the mistakes he had made in regards to him.

He was of course saddened by the loss of his professor but nowhere near as much so as the loss of Hagrid and Snape. He could at least have a conversation with them that did not lead to a death prediction of sorts or a claim of some very strange superstitions being tested.

He shook his head. He just hoped that tomorrow would be a better day.

 _(BREAK)_

Lucius, Antonin and the four werewolves returned to Malfoy Manor in triumph having killed Scrimgeour without any resistance or difficulties.

Lucius left the other men to inform the Dark Lord of their success.

Entering the room with a smirk he addressed the man, clearly delighted with how things had unfolded for his team.

"My Lord Scrimgeour is dead" he told the man, the glee evident in his voice.

"Well Bones isn't" the Dark Lord spat angrily causing Lucius to blanch.

"How is that possible?" the blonde questioned frankly. "I sent Bella, Rudolphus, Demetrious and four vampires" he explained.

"Bella was the only one to return, we can assume the others are dead" Voldemort retorted angrily. "Potter and Black interfered" he added banging his fist on the table in his anger.

Lucius just stuttered incoherently at the revelation.

"You underestimated the difficulty of your task Lucius" Voldemort continued with a scowl discreetly drawing his wand.

" _Crucio"_ he spat furiously and watched with a sense of joy as the man screamed and writhed on the floor under his curse; it had been too long that his subordinates had been without punishment.

"Now get out" he ordered after lifting the curse.

Malfoy fled the company of the Dark Lord as quickly as possible under the effects of the curse.

Lord Voldemort growled at the incompetence of his men.

 _(BREAK)_

Having escaped his godfather after the man regaled a few more embarrassing stories of his past Harry returned to the Black house feeling very tired from the days efforts.

He immediately readied himself for bed and withdrew the mirror from his bed side table to share a conversation with a certain blonde; the highlight of his day.

He called her name into the mirror and waited for her to answer which she did in her usual haste to speak to the boy.

"How's it going?" Harry asked her tiredly.

"It could be better" Daphne replied, clearly just as tired as Harry.

"What's happened?" Harry asked, immediately more alert.

"Nott kidnapped Trelawney from Hogsmeade and tried to kill me" she explained quietly.

Harry growled in fury, his eyes glowing to reflect his anger.

"Where is he?" he asked dangerously.

"Already in Azkaban" Daphne responded. "I got him with your curse" she added trying to placate the enraged boy.

"Good" Harry replied venomously. "Why would he kidnap Trelawney?" he asked.

Daphne shrugged at the question.

"I have no idea" she returned.

"The prophecy" Harry whispered in realisation. "It must have been her that gave it" he declared.

"What, that old fraud?" Daphne questioned disbelievingly.

"I heard her give a real prediction once and it came true" Harry explained. "She's a fraud mostly but she has her moments".

"So now he will now what it says" Daphne said flatly with a hint of nervousness.

"I don't care" Harry declared with a shrug. "We both know how it will finish" he added knowingly.

"I know" Daphne whispered. "Can we not talk about that please?" she asked desperately. "I don't want to think about it".

"I'm sorry" Harry said genuinely.

He sometimes forgot how sensitive the girl was about his possible death.

"We get to come home tomorrow" she informed the boy a little more brightly. "Dumbledore thought it would be better to send us all home while the aurors are here" she explained.

Harry smiled in excitement at the prospect of seeing the girl much sooner than he had anticipated.

"So I get to see you sooner?" he asked hopefully.

"That depends" Daphne answered with a mischievous smile.

"On what?" Harry almost whined petulantly.

"On how nice you are to me" she replied simply.

"I'm always nice to you" Harry pointed out exasperatedly.

"True" Daphne responded with a warm smile. "So I guess I should see you as soon as possible" she concluded thoughtfully.

"My thoughts exactly" Harry said with a smile. "But I have to go to another meeting tomorrow, we only got the nominations done and then Malfoy had the meeting adjourned" he explained. "On top of that Bones and Scrimgeour were both attacked tonight because they were nominated, obviously Tom doesn't want them elected. Me and Sirius managed to get to Bones in time but I have no idea about Scrimgeour, I sent a patronus to Dumbledore to help there" he finished.

Daphne sighed deeply.

"Please just be careful" she implored.

"Always" Harry replied with a grin. "I will call you tomorrow as soon as we are done" he promised.

"You better Mr Potter, or I will be most upset with you" Daphne warned jokingly with a smirk of her own.

After finishing his conversation with Daphne, Harry was asleep almost immediately hoping that tomorrow would be much less stressful. He was certainly glad that Daphne was coming home early. He had missed her constantly and couldn't wait to spend some much needed time with the girl, even if it did mean he had to shop for dresses and suits for the impending nuptials of his godfather and wife to be.

 _(BREAK)_

He awoke the next morning to find that the wet and unpleasant weather had given way to a thick blanket of snow overnight, which lay beautifully undisturbed around the property giving the young man a truly festive feeling; one he had very rarely felt in his life.

He showered and dressed before making his way to the Wizengamot meeting, praying that it would not last all day; he doubted very much he could manage another day such as the one yesterday.

He arrived in the chamber after passing through a much more heightened security presence in the atrium and took his seat and waited for the meeting to begin. He spotted Sirius in the public gallery once again keeping a keen eye on the section of the body that housed Malfoy and his associates. Amelia bones was sat in her seat flanked by two aurors also keeping an unwavering vigil but there was no sign of Scrimgeour.

He caught the eye of Dumbledore who looked very tired and shook his head sadly as he caught sight of the younger man. From his demeanour Harry assumed that the news regarding the other ministerial candidate was not good.

Seeing that everyone was seated Dumbledore banged his gavel several times to begin the process.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot I must begin the day with some very grave news" he started, immediately having the attention of the room. "It is my unfortunate duty to inform that both Madame Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour were attacked last night by Death Eaters, the latter being killed in his attempts to defend himself" he explained grimly.

There were shouts of outrage from many members of the crowd who demanded more details.

Dumbledore held his hands up to silence the crowd before addressing them again.

"Once again we have both Harry Potter and Sirius Black to thank for their intervention that Madame Bones has no doubt saved her life" he continued. "Usually under these circumstances we would postpone an election but I feel that I am forced to invoke article 7 in light of our need for a leader" he announced sternly.

"You cannot do that Dumbledore" Lucius stood furiously. "As you can see Lord Travers is missing and he holds a significant vote for our inclination in the way we vote" he explained angrily.

Harry noticed the man certainly looked more peaky today. Clearly his master had not been happy by what had transpired.

"Lord Travers was apprehended as one of the men who had attacked Madame Bones last night" Dumbledore replied.

Lucius paled at that and gaped like a fish.

"Aye and he had some very interesting things to say about the death of our former minister also" Alastor Moody growled as he emerged from one of the public galleries limping in his typical fashion. "That means you are coming with me Malfoy" he added with a twisted smile.

"I think not" Malfoy hissed in disgust at the idea.

Before anyone could stop him he activated a portkey and disappeared causing an uproar within the room.

"Clearly Tom made that portkey" Harry mumbled to himself knowing it would take someone with exceptional skill to bypass the wards in the room.

Dumbledore fired a large blast from his wand to gain silence once again.

"The vote will go ahead" he said firmly, the twinkle noticeably absent from his blue eyes.

"I have just lost two votes" Yaxley shouted exasperatedly.

"And I bet you'd lose more if I were to start lifting peoples sleeves in here" Moody cut in with a threatening growl.

"But that's illegal" Yaxley responded weakly knowing that Fudge had signed that decree many years ago.

"For now" Moody grumbled.

The vote went ahead as planned and Amelia Bones was named the new minister having received over two thirds of the vote. Those who had backed Yaxley left immediately clearly very unhappy with the outcome.

"My first act as the new minister is to name Gawain Robards as the new head of the auror force as suggested by Rufus" she announced a little sadly at the mention of her former colleague.

The man to her left stood shocked but nodded his acceptance of the promotion stiffly before taking his seat with a determined gleam in his eye.

"Secondly I name Alastor Moody as my replacement as the head of the DMLE, if he accepts" she continued.

Moody was clearly surprised but that look was soon replaced with a maniacal grin and the man rubbed his gnarled hands together excitedly.

"Oh this will be fun" he said with glee.

"We will be having a meeting as soon as we are done here Alastor" Amelia informed the man. "We have to discuss the soft approach we have been forced to take for far too long against those that threaten our way of life" she explained.

Moody looked as though Christmas had come early and simply roared in laughter as he slapped his knee in delight.

"It seems that this would be a good time to end this meeting" Dumbledore announced and headed towards Harry looking rather grave as the remainder of the crowd began to disperse.

"I assume you have heard of what happened to dear Sybil" he stated questioningly.

"I find it hard to be sorry about someone who spent most of my third year predicting my death" Harry explained. "But I am sorry Professor, I'm sure she wasn't always so eccentric" he added sincerely, seeing the sadness in the older man's eyes.

"No she was always eccentric" Dumbledore replied with a slight chuckle. "It was her who made the prophecy and I fear Tom will certainly know the contents by now" he whispered urgently.

"Do you think it will make him more confident or worried?" Harry asked with a frown.

"A little of both I would imagine" Dumbledore answered tugging his beard thoughtfully.

"Then nothing changes Professor except the fact there was another unnecessary casualty that he will pay for" Harry decided.

Dumbledore nodded.

"I just wanted you to know that he probably has it now" he explained.

"Thank you professor for being open with me" Harry said with a soft smile towards the older man. He understood that this was not the man's usual way of acting or thinking and he appreciated the honesty and trust he was being shown.

"It is a mistake I don't intend on making again Harry" he replied with a bow. "Now I believe that there is someone else who wishes to speak with you" he finished nodding over his shoulder.

Harry turned to see Jonathan waiting at a respectable distance for him to finish with the headmaster.

"I assume you will be at the wedding sir" Harry intoned.

"I am very much looking forward to it, it has been many years since I went to a wedding" he answered, his eyes twinkling merrily once more. "I do hope there is a waltz" he mused to himself causing Harry to laugh.

"Then I will see you there professor" Harry said with a chuckle.

"Until then Harry" Dumbledore bowed before he left.

Harry turned and made his way over to Jonathan who greeted him with a smile.

"I have been asked to invite you to dinner this evening" the man informed him with a smile.

"I would like that" Harry replied genuinely.

"I'm glad you said that" Jonathan said relieved. "I'm sure I would have had a very annoyed daughter if you couldn't make it" he added knowingly.

"I don't doubt that" Harry returned with amusement.

"7 o'clock?" Jonathan asked.

"I'll be there" Harry promised and gestured to Sirius to join him. "We have training to do" he said seriously to which the marauder nodded.

"See you tonight Jonathan" Harry bade farewell to the man who nodded with a smile.

 _(BREAK)_

It was a few hours later that had a sore Sirius Black returning to Grimmauld Place. The moment he closed the front door he was attacked by a small brown haired blur that had latched itself around his waist.

"Hello Princess" Natalie greeted him giving the man a tight squeeze.

Sirius smiled happily before wrapping his arms around the girl.

"Hello missy" he replied lovingly. "I didn't know you were coming home today".

"We got sent home early because the divination teacher went missing" the girl explained as she extracted herself from the man. "Are you hurt?" she asked seeing him wince.

"I was training with Harry" Sirius informed her.

"And what curse did your loving godson hit you with today?" Marlene questioned him as she joined the pair in the hallway.

"A stinging hex" Sirius sighed rubbing his thigh.

"A stinging hex?" Marlene questioned disbelievingly.

"Feels like a damn bludger when he hits you with it" the man grumbled with a frown.

"Marlene says you have something to tell me" Natalie cut in curiously.

"We do" Sirius said with a smile as he shepherded the young girl into the kitchen and into a chair.

"Well?" Natalie asked impatiently bouncing in her seat after neither of the grown-ups spoke.

"Well" Marlene began. "Me and Sirius are getting married on Christmas eve" she explained excitedly.

Natalie was surprised by the news and immediately jumped from her seat to hug the couple.

"Does that mean he's going to behave now?" she asked with a raised eyebrow pointing at the gaping man.

"He had better" Marlene growled in a mockingly threatening tone.

"I think you will find I am the most well behaved one in this house" Sirius retorted with a frown.

The two females laughed at his declaration causing him to pout.

"Back five minutes and I'm already getting grief" he muttered with a shake of his head.

"Anyway" Marlene cut him off before he could continue his mumbling. "That means we need to get your dress if you're going to be standing up the front with me" she added with a smile towards the girl.

"You really want me to stand with you?" Natalie asked disbelievingly.

"There is no one else I want standing with me more than you" Marlene answered sincerely pulling the girl into a hug.

"Thank you" the girl whispered emotionally and allowed herself to melt into the embrace.

Marlene and Sirius smiled at each other gently, happy that it meant so much to Natalie.

"Looks like we will be having a shopping trip tomorrow" Marlene announced causing Sirius to whimper.

"Damn shopping" he grumbled.

Marlene just raised an eyebrow at him while Natalie giggled at the man.

She was glad to be back here with both Marlene and Sirius, she had missed them both so much while she had been away.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived at Greengrass manor to be greeted by a very excitable Daphne, who immediately threw herself in the boy's arms wrapping hers around him as though she would never let go.

"I missed you too" Harry whispered with a smile as he squeezed the girl gently, savouring the moment.

Daphne just smiled into his chest taking in his scent, one of things she found she missed more than anything else while they had been apart.

The couple were interrupted by an amused cough and turned to see Ophelia looking at them with a gentle smile.

"Are you going to let Harry in?" she questioned her daughter. "It is rather cold out here".

Daphne frowned but took Harry by the hand and led him into the house and out of the snowy outdoors.

"Harry" Jonathan greeted him warmly. "I'm glad you could make it" he added sincerely. "I'm no longer used to being surrounded by so many females" he finished in faux dismay.

Harry chuckled at the man.

"I'm glad to be of service" he intoned with a bow. "We have to watch out for each other after all" he added with a wink causing the man to laugh.

"That we do" he agreed. "But I'm sure they would think differently" he said gesturing to the three glaring females in the room.

"Hello Astoria" Harry greeted the girl.

"Hello Harry" Astoria replied. "I'm glad you're here".

"Did you miss me too?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but Daphne wouldn't shut up about you all day" Astoria moaned. "It was getting annoying" she finished frowning at her sister who narrowed her eyes.

"Shut up Tori" she hissed but flushed despite herself.

"I'm sure I annoyed Sirius just as much" Harry admitted. "And may have overdone it with the stinging hex I hit him with" he added sheepishly.

Jonathan laughed at that and led the group through to the dining room where the food was already waiting for them.

They shared some small talk over the meal in which they discussed school and the work Harry was doing. It wasn't until after they had finished eating that Jonathan asked Harry about the outcome of the election.

"So Harry, how do you think Amelia will do as minister?" he questioned.

"I have no idea" Harry shrugged. "But it has to be better than that idiot Yaxley" he surmised.

Jonathan chuckled and nodded his agreement.

"I imagine cousin Gaston was not happy" Ophelia cut in.

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I didn't know you were related to the Yaxley's" he exclaimed.

"Unfortunately" Ophelia said bitterly. "My maiden name is Yaxley" she explained with a shake of her head.

"Well I am distantly related to Bellatrix Lestrange and she is definitely insane" Harry shrugged. "We can't choose our relatives" he mused aloud.

"True" Ophelia agreed.

"It would have been interesting if you would have accepted the nomination though" Jonathan said thoughtfully. "I have no doubt you would have won, you would have gotten my vote" he finished honestly.

"You were nominated?" Daphne asked disbelievingly.

"Yes but he refused" Jonathan explained.

"I have no desire to be minister now or ever" Harry said with a grimace at the thought.

"What is it you do want to do?" Ophelia asked.

"I have a few ideas" Harry answered cryptically.

"You'd make a hell of an auror" Jonathan exclaimed.

Harry shook his head.

"I've spent my whole life fighting this dark lord" he explained. "I definitely won't joining the aurors" he finished firmly.

"Understandable" Jonathan mused. "I guess you can choose anything" he added thoughtfully. "With the qualifications you have and getting an order of merlin already".

"When did you get an order of merlin?" Astoria asked before anyone else could speak.

"Yesterday" Harry shrugged. "Me and Sirius for stopping the giants" he added in explanation.

"You didn't tell me" Daphne broke in with a frown.

"It slipped my mind" Harry answered truthfully. "After everything that happened last night I didn't really think about it".

"It was a rough day" Daphne intoned with a nod. "Well tomorrow will be better" she added excitedly.

"Why?" Harry asked trying to remember if there was something important he had forgotten.

"Shopping" Daphne reminded him.

Harry groaned and Jonathan laughed at the teen.

"Poor lad" he muttered in amusement.

"I don't know what you find so amusing Jonathan Greengrass" Ophelia chided him with a scowl. "We also have shopping to do" she informed her husband who paled. "I received our wedding invitation by owl today".

It was Harry's turn to laugh at the man.

"You have two dresses to buy" he told the man gleefully indicating his wife and other daughter. "I only have to endure one" he added smugly.

"Endurance now is it Potter?" Daphne asked with a glare.

Harry swallowed deeply.

"It is both my honour and pleasure to escort you while you shop" he spoke with a flourish.

"Better" Daphne nodded with a smile.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hate shopping" Jonathan grumbled.

Harry laughed.

"There is a muggle thing called karma Jonathan, you should look into it" he suggested with a grin.

"I know all about it" Jonathan replied with a frown. "It looks like I'm experiencing it now" he muttered unhappily.

They spoke for a little while longer before Harry took his leave to get some rest. Shopping was not his favourite thing to do and he knew it would be much more unpleasant if he was tired while doing it.

 _(BREAK)_

Thankfully the shopping trip went off without a hitch and Daphne was very happy with the dress she had bought. The remaining days leading up to the wedding went in a similar fashion with nothing untoward or dire happening, much to Harry's relief.

He woke to a very frantic and nervous Sirius on Christmas eve morning, having had the man spend the night with him. It took several calming droughts and threats of being cursed for the man to just be able to sit still much to Harry's annoyance.

"Why are you so nervous?" he asked his godfather.

"I don't know" Sirius replied, clearly frustrated by his own apprehension.

"Believe me everything will be fine, just breathe and remember why you're doing this" Harry instructed the man placing a caring hand on his shoulder.

Sirius swallowed and nodded weakly but a look of determination came over him.

"Thank you" he said sincerely pulling his godson into a hug.

"Now go and get dressed" Harry demanded. "We have to leave in an hour" he added firmly.

Sirius yelped and left the room quickly to get ready leaving Harry behind shaking his head.

By the time the younger man was ready Sirius was in the drawing room pacing impatiently wearing a tailored black tuxedo complete with a purple waistcoat and a white lily protruding from the pocket of his jacket.

Harry was wearing a matching suit minus the waistcoat and smiled at the man.

"You scrub up well for a crusty old mutt" he teased gently. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Sirius nodded reluctantly and the two disapparated to the church in Godric's Hollow where Harry had spent a lot of time ensuring the security of the venue.

The church was simple but beautiful in its simplicity and Harry found that he had quite a soft spot for the building. Knowing that his parents were married here also made it that much more special to the teen.

After confirming that everything was ready the two men waited at the front doors of the building to greet those that would be attending.

Dumbledore was the first to arrive wearing robes of purple decorated with silver stars and moons with his familiar perched dutifully on his shoulder. Much to the man's delight he had been asked to perform the ceremony by the couple and had readily agreed to do so.

The Tonks' family arrived next with Natalie being escorted by Tonks herself who was wearing a matching red dress to the younger girls though the older of the duo looked rather uncomfortable in hers.

"Not a word" she growled at Harry as she passed.

"You" Harry said addressing the young girl, "look beautiful" he declared pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you" Natalie responded shyly. "You look nice in your suit" she returned truthfully.

"I look better without it" he said with a grin looking at Tonks.

"Damn it" the metamorph growled as she blushed.

"I hope you are not bothering this lady" a voice cut in and Harry turned to see Daphne in a similar red dress to the other two causing the boy choked at how beautiful she looked.

The dress was form fitting and her hair had been styled elaborately into a high, loose bun with a few wavy strands snaking their way down the girls cheek. Her make-up was subtle except for the bright red lipstick she wore the accentuated her already full lips.

Tonks whooped in triumph at the dumb look Harry wore.

"It's about time someone did that to you" she exclaimed happily. "You must be Daphne" she added offering the girl her hand who took it with a smile.

"You must be Tonks" Daphne replied. "If he gives you any trouble tell me and I will deal with him" she promised glaring at the boy who was still staring dumbly.

It took a slap on the back of the head from Sirius to snap him out of his stupor.

"You look incredible" he said simply pulling the girl into a hug and kissing her gently.

"You don't look so bad yourself" Daphne responded breathily looking at him with twinkling eyes that would make Dumbledore himself proud.

With that the Greengrass's entered the church while Daphne, Tonks and Natalie went to wait for Marlene in one of the side rooms that had been reserved for her.

Harry and Sirius greeted the rest of the guests that consisted of; the various members of the order, almost ever Hogwarts professors and Amelia Bones along with several members of the Wizengamot.

Harry was happy to see Hermione there with Ron and the other Weasley's including Percy who had been released shortly after Travers had admitted his part in Fudge's murder. They shared a brief but appreciative conversation and Harry promised that he would write more often to his friends though Ron had definitely been quite cold towards him.

When they were sure that all the guest had arrived Harry and Sirius made their way to the altar to await the arrival of the bride and her maids.

They didn't have to wait long as almost as soon as they had taken their places the bridal march started and Marlene entered followed by Tonks, Natalie and Daphne.

Sirius just gaped at his bride to be and it took Harry physically closing his mouth to shake him from his thoughts.

Marlene stood in front of her man and gave him a watery smile, which he returned genuinely. There was no doubt that what they felt for each other was real. They may have spent most of their time together bickering or joking around but it was easy to see in this moment the love they had for each other.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Dumbledore began smiling jubilantly. "It is my pleasure to have us gathered here today to celebrate the love of two people and join them in matrimony" he continued. "I believe that both Marlene and Sirius have written their own vows, so without further ado" he finished e=gesturing for Sirius to begin.

The man swallowed and braced himself before he begun.

"There has never been a time in my life that I have been lost for words" he began with a light chuckle. "But when you asked me to write my own vows for this day I found myself lost for them" he continued seriously. "How can I put into words what I feel for you?" he asked. "The simple answer is; that I can't" he said with a shake of his head. "There are no words that can do it justice" he continued a little emotionally. "But I guess actions speak louder than words" he added. "All I can do is show you what you mean to me every single day for the rest of my life" he elaborated after another deep swallow. "We have had one hell of a journey and I never want it to end. I love you with everything that I have Marlene McKinnon and that is something that will never change. I don't know what will happen in the future but I want you to be the thing that it surrounds until my final breath" he finished genuinely.

Marlene was openly crying at the man's declaration as were many in the room. Harry himself swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat at the sentiment shown by his godfather and saw that even Dumbledore's eyes were shining and a tear was making its way down the man's cheek.

"How am I supposed to top that?" Marlene asked weakly eliciting a few chuckles around the room. "I had planned to say a lot but it seems irrelevant now" she said with a smile. "All I can say is that I love you Sirius Black, I always have and I always will and I too will do everything I can to show you that every single day we have left" she vowed. "There is nothing I want more than to share my life with you and to wake up to you every morning and fall asleep in your arms every night" she intoned honestly. "Just that would make me the happiest woman in the world" she concluded.

"The rings, if you please" Dumbledore instructed to Harry who handed them to the old man who placed a ring on each of the bride and groom's fingers.

"Please join hands" he requested, still smiling.

The couple obliged and looked each other in the eye, both grinning.

"As chief warlock of the Wizengamot I hereby declare you man and wife in the eyes of both love and magic" he announced waving his wand in an intricate manner causing both rings to flash gold, demonstrating the success of the spell.

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd as the couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife. They parted a moment later and Sirius grabbed Natalie, scooped her into his arms and hugged her tightly being joined quickly by his wife.

It was not long after that those in attendance found themselves in the Great Hall at Hogwarts as suggested by Dumbledore as the reception venue knowing that it would not be possible to have it at Grimmauld Place or Potter Manor without compromising the Fidelius Charms placed their respectively.

"You did well" Harry praised Sirius as they sat eating at the head table while the rest of the guests not part of the wedding party ate at various tables that had been put in place of the house tables.

"I've never been so terrified in my life" Sirius admitted with a shake of his head.

"I figured after seeing the state of you this morning" Harry replied with a laugh.

"Laugh it up" Sirius grumbled. "It will be your turn one day" he added with a smirk.

Harry just shrugged.

"I'm sure I'll handle it better than you did" he responded with a smirk of his own.

"Well in the mean time you have a speech to give pup" Sirius returned his eyes alight with amusement.

"You're not really going to make me do it are you?" the teen questioned desperately.

"It's tradition" Sirius answered simply causing Harry to sigh.

"Best get it over with then" he mumbled and stood to his feet, tapping his goblet with a spoon.

The occupants of the room turned to look at the young man expectantly.

"Well" he began uncertainly. "I thought I'd be able to avoid this but it looks like I failed miserably" he said with a shake of his head.

There were a few amused laughs at this and Harry waited for it to pass before he continued.

"The truth is I don't really know what to say" he admitted honestly. "I only heard about Marlene a little over a year ago when Sirius was drunk but I saw something that night that I had only seen once before from him" he continued. "I saw a pain and emotion that he had only ever shown when he spoke about losing my parents and I could see then how much Marlene meant to him and for him to think that he had lost her all those years ago was still hurting him and that is how I can be sure of how much he really does love her as much as he says" he explained. "And if that didn't do it then this morning did" he went on with a frown. "He was a stuttering mess. I imagine it was how Remus was after he walked in on my mother in the shower" he added with a smirk.

Sirius roared in laughter and began banging the table with his hand and Remus looked horrified at what had just been revealed.

"You told him" he said weakly to Sirius who just nodded while he continued his laughter.

"It's not what you think Harry" Remus pleaded to which Harry just grinned triumphantly at the man.

"He already explained" Harry reassured the man pointing at his godfather.

Remus just shook his head and continued looking embarrassed.

"Anyway" Harry broke in. "I just want to wish Marlene and Sirius all the happiness in the world and I know that they will never take each other for granted. They already thought they had lost each other once before and seeing how much love they have for each other gives us all hope that true love can survive any amount of time and distance apart, to Marlene and Sirius Black" he finished raising his glass.

"To Marlene and Sirius Black" the room echoed.

"And now it is time for the happy couple to share their first dance" Dumbledore announced gesturing for the couple to make their way to the dance floor.

The old man flicked his wand and the first notes of _Baby I love your way by Peter Frampton_ sounded through the room to the confusion of many not familiar with muggle music.

Marlene paused.

"You remembered" she said to her husband who smiled and nodded.

"I couldn't forget our song" he replied. "Even though I haven't been able to listen to it since you left" he added sadly.

"I love you Sirius Black" Marlene declared emotionally allowing herself to be pulled into the man's arms and led around the floor for their first dance.

They were soon joined by the others.

"I didn't know you could dance" Daphne said to Harry clearly surprised.

"Neither did I" Harry responded truthfully. "I guess the training I do helps" he shrugged.

Daphne smiled and melted into his arms and simply enjoyed being there.

Harry shared a smile with a passing Dumbledore who was waltzing around the room with Professor McGonagall who was also smiling in a rare show of emotion from the usually stern woman.

He spotted Remus and Tonks dancing along with Andromeda and Ted. Even Amelia Bones was dancing comically with Professor Flitwick.

He turned back to look at Marlene and Sirius and saw that they had included Natalie in their dance. He caught his godfathers eye and gave him a smile also to which the man returned warmly.

"Are you still coming to ours tomorrow?" Daphne asked.

"I am" Harry answered. "I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd want to be" he added sincerely.

Daphne smiled and melted back into his arms.

Before anyone was ready the night came to an end and the guests began to make their way home leaving only the members of the Black family along with the Hogwarts staff.

"Are you sure you don't want us to have Natalie for the night?" Andromeda asked.

Marlene shook her head.

"It's Christmas, she should be with us" she explained with a smile her arm placed lovingly around the girl's shoulder.

"If you're sure" Andromeda said questioningly.

"We are" Sirius cut in. "It wouldn't be Christmas without her" he added pulling both of the girls into a hug.

"Congratulations" Andromeda said happily to the couple. "I am really happy for you".

"Thank you Andi" Sirius responded gratefully. "We are going to get this one home" he announced seeing the younger girl yawn.

"But I'm not tired" Natalie grumbled before yawning again.

"Of course you're not" Sirius agreed sarcastically. "We need to get you to bed if not Santa Clause won't come" he warned.

"I'm 12" Natalie replied simply causing everyone to laugh except Sirius who pouted.

"Why doesn't anyone believe in Santa anymore?" he whined. "I saw him when I was 6. I know he's real" he finished petulantly.

"That was your father in a red suit you idiot" Andromeda broke in laughing. "You still believe in Santa?" She asked disbelievingly.

"No" Sirius answered unconvincingly scowling at his cousin.

"Come on Princess, let's get you home before we ruin your belief in the Easter bunny too" Marlene suggested leading him and Natalie from the hall.

"You mean the Easter bunny isn't real too? My whole life is a lie" he declared as he was escorted out by his wife.

Harry and the Tonks family just laughed at the man.

"You don't think he actually believes in them do you?" Harry asked in amusement.

"He does" Andromeda answered.

"And he thinks your sister is insane" Harry mumbled. "Anyway, I hope you have a nice Christmas" he said sincerely to the family. "You should have already gotten my gifts" he added.

"Yes, that elf of yours is a strange one isn't he" Ted frowned.

"What, Dobby?" Harry questioned.

He had sent the elf to deliver the various presents to people he would not be seeing on Christmas day.

"That's the chap" Ted said with a shake of his head. "Came in dressed as Santa and painted green" he explained. "Said something about being a grinchy, I had to stop him setting our tree on fire" he finished with a scowl.

Harry laughed uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry" he apologised through his laughter. "I had TV's fitted in one of the rooms and I caught him watching muggle Christmas movies, he obviously watched The Grinch" he explained.

"That's it" Ted declared. "I watched that with my mother when I was young" he added. "You need to watch that elf" he advised. "We don't want him thinking he's Rambo now do we" he finished.

Harry flinched at the thought.

"I'll have a word" he promised.

He bid his farewell to the Tonks, completely spent by the long day. He just wanted his bed knowing that he had another busy day ahead of him tomorrow with Daphne and the rest of her family.

 _(BREAK)_

Christmas time for Natalie had always been a rather depressing affair. Growing up in a severely underfunded orphanage meant that the children there received very few gifts, but that wasn't what made the holidays so bad.

This was the time of year more than any that the children would think of the families they may have used to have and find themselves wondering what Christmas would be like if they had their parents or even relatives around them.

They did try to make the best of their situation but it was always to no avail. The time of year was simply depressing for them and the fake smiles of joy they wore were obvious. It was clear that their minds were elsewhere, daydreaming about a Christmas with a family that no longer existed.

It was this reason that Natalie never looked forward to it. She had spent her time over the years having such thoughts and fantasies and never managed to get into the Christmas spirit.

She was woken on this morning by a loud bark and felt something wet slide across her face. She looked up to see a large black shaggy dog staring at her excitedly, its tongue hanging out of its mouth, complete with a Santa hat perched comically on its head.

"Your breath really smells Princess" the girl grumbled tiredly.

The dog just barked and began bouncing on the bed impatiently trying to rouse the girl by pawing at her form that was wrapped in her duvet.

"Alright I'm awake" Natalie huffed, giving the dog a glare that just panted happily, wagging its tail furiously.

"I told you to let her sleep in" the voice of Marlene hissed from the door.

The dog whined sadly, its ears falling back to match the whine.

"It's ok, I'm awake" Natalie broke in sleepily.

"Merry Christmas" Marlene said softly, entering the room and pulling the girl into a hug. "How on earth did you get that hat on you idiot?" Marlene asked her husband with a shake of her head.

"It was more difficult than I thought it would be" Sirius grumbled as he transformed back to his human self. "Merry Christmas Natalie" he added to the girl as he hugged both of them.

They remained this way for a moment before the impatient nature of the marauder emerged.

"Presents" he shouted, startling both girls as he started to pull them from the room.

"You are such a child Sirius Black" Marlene chided him but was smiling at his antics.

"But presents" he replied petulantly, not relenting in his efforts to drag the pair into the living room.

Natalie entered the living and was completely stopped in her tracks, dumbfounded by what she saw.

The room had been elaborately decorated with lights, tinsels and garlands. In the far corner was the largest Christmas tree she had ever seen surrounded by pile upon pile of presents.

She was pulled from her shock by the form of Sirius bounding across the room being chased by Marlene who was clearly trying to prevent him from diving into the pile of gifts.

"You will wait your turn mutt" she scolded as she grabbed the man by the ear and dragged him, pouting, back towards the young girl.

"You're hurting me" he complained childishly.

"I'll more than hurt you in a minute" Marlene warned. "Come Natalie, are you ready for presents?" she asked offering the girl her hand.

Natalie took the woman's hand, with her shaky one and allowed herself to be led to the enormous piles of presents.

"These are yours" Sirius said, gesturing to four of the piles.

"All of them?" the girl questioned weakly.

"All of them" Sirius affirmed with a gentle smile.

"Thank you" she whispered through her shock.

"Can we dig in now?" Sirius asked his wife impatiently who just sighed and shook her head.

"Go on then" she permitted.

Sirius whooped with glee and immediately tackled one of the large piles, spilling the packages everywhere.

"Such a child" Marlene whispered with a smile as she watched her husband rolling amongst the gifts as though it were a pile of money.

Natalie giggled at the man and began nervously opening her presents.

Sirius finished opening his presents much sooner than Natalie and sat watching the young girl with a smile as she opened hers along with Marlene who had not even bothered to begin opening hers. She instead opted to just watch the girl, happy to just see her smiling as she opened each gift.

When she had finished opening her presents Natalie just stood and hugged both of them tightly, obviously grateful for what she had received.

"Thank you" she whispered emotionally.

"We just wanted you to have a good Christmas" Sirius explained with a soft smile.

"Just being here would have been enough" Natalie replied sincerely causing the two adults to smile again. "Wait here a minute" she suddenly instructed and ran from the room leaving a confused Sirius and Marlene in her wake.

She returned a minute later holding two presents giving one to each of them.

"It's not much" she said sadly. "But I wanted to give you something" she added nervously.

Sirius opened the gift feeling his heart melt at what was inside.

It was a photo of the trio from a day they had spent in Hyde Park together during the summer. They were just sat on the grass by the lake watching the boats, huddled together and sharing an intimate moment.

"How did you get this?" Sirius asked with a slight choke.

"I asked Professor Dumbledore and he helped me with a pensieve" Natalie explained quietly.

"It's amazing" he whispered.

Sirius gripped the photo tightly before he conjured a frame for the picture, put it inside and placed it in the centre of the mantelpiece where he stood and simply stared at it with a watery smile.

Marlene opened her box to see three penguin ornaments, 2 large and one small inside.

"Did you make these?" she asked in awe at the beauty of the pieces.

"Professor McGonagall helped me with the transfiguration, it should be permanent" Natalie replied shyly. "When I was at muggle school we learnt about penguins and we were told that they have one life partner and you reminded me of that" she explained to the two who just pulled her into a grateful hug not trusting themselves to speak.

"Where did you get that jumper?" Marlene asked her husband who was wearing the garment that depictured a scene from the movie _The Snowman._

"Dobby gave it to me" he said defensively. "He made me watch the move with him a few weeks ago and I liked it" he shrugged.

"We can watch it today" Natalie exclaimed excitedly as she indicated the TV and pile of movies she had received.

"How do you plan on getting that to work here?" Marlene questioned Sirius.

"The same way we got them to work in Harry's house and how we got our song to play at Hogwarts last night" he replied cryptically. "It is just some charm work and basic runes" he explained.

"So we can watch it?" Natalie asked.

"We can" Sirius confirmed with a grin. "Kreacher" he called.

"Yes master" the elf intoned after appearing with a crack dressed as one of Santa's elves.

"I love the outfit" Sirius praised, pleased to see the elf getting into the Christmas spirit.

"Kreacher likes Christmas" the elf replied with a rare smile.

"Could you please make breakfast while I set up the TV?" he asked.

"Yes Master Black" Kreacher complied with a bow.

It took a little longer than anticipated, with a lot of cursing from Sirius and a few scolding's by Marlene at his choice of language, but the marauder eventually managed to get the TV to work and the trio sat down to watch the movie after eating their breakfast.

"Wow" Marlene said simply after the movie was finished.

"I told you it was good" Sirius proclaimed smugly. "Not mocking my jumper now are you" he asked with a grin.

"It doesn't matter" Marlene declared. "I can just steal it later" she added with a mischievous look causing her husband to look horrified.

"You wouldn't" he stated dumbly.

"You know I would Sirius Black, like the time I took your leather jacket" she reminded him.

"I never did see that jacket again" he grumbled with a frown.

Natalie just watched the back and forth between the pair in amusement.

'This is how Christmas should be' she thought to herself with a smile.

"Lunch be ready now" Kreacher announced with a bow, now dressed as a reindeer.

"Where are you getting these outfits from?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"Dobby be sending them" Kreacher explained before popping away.

"There really is something quite charming about that elf" Sirius muttered before the trio entered the kitchen to have lunch.

Marlene and Sirius were both quiet throughout the meal and Natalie spotted them sharing nervous looks occasionally.

"What's wrong?" She asked them worriedly.

The couple shared another before Sirius nodded and coughed.

"We do have another present for you" he began nervously. "You don't have to accept it but we wanted this to be really special for all of us" he explained getting more and more nervous the more he spoke.

He stopped speaking from fear of becoming a jabbering mess.

Natalie looked at Marlene with confusion and saw that the woman was pale and looked equally scared as she did excited.

"Here" Sirius said as he handed the girl a plain envelope with a shaking hand.

Natalie didn't understand what could have them both feeling the way they were; this had been the best Christmas she had ever had and there was nothing that could spoil that for her.

She opened the envelope and removed the large stack of paper that was contained within.

She only got as far as reading the first line on the first sheet before she broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

Sirius and Marlene immediately rushed to the girl's side in concern.

"I'm sorry" Sirius said emotionally. "We didn't mean to upset you" he added pleadingly, sharing a look with his clearly horrified wife.

"You really want me?" Natalie asked weakly through her tears.

"More than anything else in the world" Marlene answered sincerely. "That's why we got married yesterday, they wouldn't let us adopt you if we weren't married and we wanted it to be done for today" she explained.

The girl just launched herself at the couple and clung to them, still sobbing.

Sirius and Marlene shared a look of pure joy as they both hugged the girl to them tightly.

"You got married just so you could adopt me?" Natalie asked sadly after a moment.

"We were getting married anyway" Sirius pointed out. "But yes, we did move it forward so we could adopt you" he admitted. "It is the best wedding and Christmas present we could ever get" he finished genuinely.

"You really mean it?" the girl asked. "You really want to adopt me?" she questioned the pair worriedly.

"You are the most important person to us in the whole world" Sirius responded. "You are our little girl, we both realised that the day we had to send you back to Hogwarts, it took a lot of work and help but we managed it and we would do it again in a heartbeat" he explained firmly, his eyes shining with tears. "And that reminds me, this is from Harry" he explained summoning a small box one of the cupboards and handing it to the girl.

Natalie opened the box to find a gold charm bracelet with a few charms already attached. She saw a dog charm that looked like Sirius, one of a werewolf and two crests that she didn't recognise.

It was then that she saw there was a card in the box and she removed it and began to read.

 _To Natalie,_

 _Welcome to the Houses of Black and Potter,_

 _I couldn't be more proud and happy to add you to our families._

 _Your ever-loving Godfather,_

 _Harry_

"I have a family" Natalie whispered, tears filling her eyes again while she clutched the bracelet.

"You will always have a family" Sirius replied emotionally, tears streaming down his face at how much this all truly meant to the girl.

He looked towards his wife who was crying silently just watching the young girl, who was now there daughter legally, taking everything in.

"Why are you crying?" Natalie asked the woman in confusion.

"I've never been so happy" Marlene responded simply and choked on the emotion she was feeling.

Natalie just hugged both of her parents and allowed herself to cry with them.

The three remained this way for some time, just processing the very emotional 24 hours they had had.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry himself woke feeling a little downcast. He thought about the previous Christmas that he had spent with Arcturus and received a stab of sadness at the realisation that he would not get another day like that with the older man.

He had his breakfast, ignoring the large pile of gifts that had been left for him in the drawing room by Elgar and instead apparated to the cemetery in Godric's Hollow.

There he spent around an hour in the Potter mausoleum tending to the graves of his relatives, leaving them tributes and just talking to them. He even summoned Maisie who had never been able to visit the site of where her former master's had been laid to rest so she could have the chance to say goodbye properly.

He simply comforted the elf as she cried and soon found himself being squeezed in a tight hug by the grateful creature.

"Thank yous Master Harry" she said gratefully when she was capable.

"They're your family too" Harry said simply. "You can come here anytime you like" he added sincerely.

Maisie just sniffled but nodded her acknowledgement.

He visited the Black Crypt next spending his time there much the same way he had with the Potter's. Here he called for Elgar also so he could spend some time with the Black's which he was clearly grateful for.

Before he left the crypt he approached the grave of Arcturus once more and placed the photo he had given the man last year of him, his wife and Harry's grandparents on top of his tombstone.

"I thought that this should be here with you my friend" he whispered placing his hand on the monument lovingly. "I miss you" he added before disapparating back home.

Here he visited with his grandparent's portrait and just spent a little time with what was left of his family, talking about mostly nonsensical things.

He fed the Thestrals also, something he made sure he did a few times a week and went for a short ride on Druella, another thing he did often and alone. This was one of the few things he had to himself that he enjoyed and savoured the sense of freedom it gave him.

He had not been confronted by the Griffins again as yet. He could see them always watching him from a distance and he would sometimes give them a wave, eliciting an irritable screech from what he figured was the golden lead male. He had no doubt they did not like him but they tolerated him and where definitely curious by him also. At times it seemed that they would approach but would stop as soon as they knew Harry was aware of their presence and would retreat back to within their area of the trees.

He apparated away to the drawing room in the Black house to hear a strange chuckling coming seemingly from nowhere. He quickly drew his wand and was on immediate alert.

"Whos be it?" a voice called followed by another chuckle.

"Dobby?" Harry questioned in confusion.

"Master Harry sir, Dobby could smells you getting off the elevator sir" the voice said again followed by yet another chuckle.

Harry frowned at the familiarity of the sentence, he was sure he had heard it somewhere before.

"Did you get my gift?" he asked a little nervously, looking around the room for any sign of the elf.

"Dobby did sir and Dobby has a gift for you" the elf replied with a mischievous snicker.

"Really?" Harry asked, still confused.

"Yes sir, Dobby is going to gives you tos the count of tens to get your filthy, yellows, no goods keista offs his property before he pumps your gutses full of leads sir".

Harry's eyebrows rose in realisation but he knew it was too late.

"Ones, twos, tens" Dobby counted and Harry threw himself to the ground and covered his ears.

He could still hear the series of explosions though his ears were covered and waited for them to pass feeling very embarrassed by the situation he found himself in.

"I shouldn't have brought you the _Home Alone_ movies" he grumbled as he hauled himself to his feet. "You can come out now" he commanded with a scowl.

Both Dobby and Kreacher appeared doubled-up with laughter.

"Where did you get the firecrackers?" Harry questioned them irritably but he was definitely a little curious at what they had been up to.

"We's got them from the red twins" Dobby explained with a toothy grin.

"Fred and George" Harry growled. "I hope you plan on cleaning this" he added with a sigh.

"We's will sir but we has more movies to be watching now" Dobby answered before the pair popped away.

Harry just shook his head at them before having a little smile. Although it had irritated him at first, it had definitely lifted his spirits.

He opened his gifts and marvelled at what he received though there was nothing he truly needed and the things he did want couldn't be given in a box.

When he was ready he made sure he had all the gifts he was taking with him to the Greengrass's and apparated there to be greeted by a very excitable Daphne who was clearly waiting for him.

"Merry Christmas" she said softly placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Merry Christmas" he returned with a gentle smile.

The couple entered one of the parlour rooms where the rest of the family were sat opening presents.

"Merry Christmas Harry" Jonathan called as he entered the room throwing a wrapped box towards the younger man who caught it.

"Merry Christmas" the teen replied passing a box of his own to the man.

The group sat down and opened their presents. Harry had gotten Jonathan some rare potions ingredients for his personal store including some basilisk parts from the beast he had killed, some griffin claws and feathers that he had found around the grounds of his home and some Thestral tail hair that he knew was used in some obscure potions.

"Thank you" the man said gratefully. "It's impossible to get anything basilisk related and very difficult to get griffin parts" he explained.

He had gotten Ophelia a set of gold earrings with a matching necklace inlaid with sapphires which the woman clearly loved.

Astoria had been given a bracelet made from platinum with rubies in them after he had learnt that red was her favourite colour from her sister.

He handed the present he had gotten Daphne to the girl and waited for her to open it with a smile, knowing that she would love what he had gotten her.

She opened the box to see a very beautifully made golden statue of her and Harry's patronuses standing nose to nose, hers with her icy blue eyes made from sapphires and his made from emeralds.

"It's beautiful" she whispered in awe.

"There's this also" Harry said handing her a smaller box.

Inside was a necklace of the same design and the girl smiled at it and stroked it lovingly with a finger before removing it and prompting Harry to put it on for her.

"They're goblin made" Harry explained. "They are unbreakable and have lots of charms on them so they can't be stolen or damaged in any way".

"Thank you" Daphne uttered sincerely hugging the young man tightly.

Harry just smiled at seeing how happy the blonde was with the presents.

"Are you going to open yours now?" Jonathan asked the younger man.

Harry nodded and opened the present that the man had thrown to him when he entered and smiled when he saw what was inside.

The box contained an ornate carving of both the Potter and Black crests made from one large piece of oak, the mottos of each family carved into the bottom.

"Thank you" he said gratefully to the man and woman.

"When you take it out of the box it will automatically size to how it was originally created, it is rather large" the man explained.

"I'll put it in my library" Harry announced happily.

He then opened the box that he had received from Astoria and simply stared at what was inside. It was a painting of a Thestral that he was very familiar with.

"Did you paint this?" he asked and the girl nodded shyly. "It looks just like her" he whispered.

"Like who?" Astoria asked.

He looked around the room and smiled.

"If you don't mind taking a trip I will show you" he offered.

"Where?" the younger girl asked.

"My house" Harry said simply.

"We can do that" Jonathan answered. He himself was keen to see Potter Manor.

"You have to open this first though" Daphne cut in, handing him a box nervously.

He opened it and felt his eyes beginning to brim with tears.

Inside was a picture of him, Sirius and Arcturus. Harry recognised it as the day of Sirius's trial and saw the older man looking at him and his godfather with a rare look of pride in his eyes.

"He would kill me for having this picture" Harry chuckled.

"Why?" Daphne questioned apprehensively.

"Because he actually looks happy" Harry responded with a smile. "Thank you" he added sincerely. "I don't have a picture of us together and it really means more than I can say" he finished genuinely.

"If we are going then we should leave now" Ophelia suggested. "Lunch will be ready fairly soon".

Harry nodded and wrote down the location of Potter Manor on a piece of parchment and passed it round the room, burning it once it came back to him.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

At the nods he received he took Daphne by the hand and apparated them to the front gates of his home being shortly joined by the other three members of the Greengrass family.

Jonathan let out an appreciative whistle when he saw the house.

"It really is beautiful" he observed. "And very secluded" he added noticing that there were no other visible houses within sight.

"My family were very private" Harry shrugged before beginning to lead them up to the house.

He gave them a tour of the house avoiding the library and the office that contained all the Dark Arts books knowing that a visit with his grandparents with Daphne was better left when they had more time.

He led them into the grounds, towards where he knew the Thestrals were and stopped them short.

"Just be careful" he advised. "They are usually placid but are really dangerous if you threaten them" he explained knowingly.

The Greengrass's just nodded and watched as the teen began whistling in a low key trying to entice the herd to them.

They didn't have to wait long before the first one emerged who was quickly knocked aside by a very excited one that charged straight towards Harry, clearly happy to see him.

"I've only been gone a few hours girl" he chuckled as the beast began rubbing its head into his chest. "I have a few people for you to meet if you don't mind" he said questioningly to which the Thestral just snorted.

He turned to see the Greengrass's looking at him with gentle smiles on their faces.

"This is Druella" he introduced the Thestral to the family.

"It's your patronus" Astoria said simply.

"And the painting you did, obviously inadvertently" he explained happily.

"She's amazing" Ophelia intoned. "You certainly have a way with animals" she observed.

"Tell that to the griffins" Harry mumbled.

"Griffins?" Jonathan asked worriedly.

"Yeah" Harry sighed. "They won't come near us though" he assured the man.

Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief.

Daphne stepped forward and held her hand out to the creature who sniffed it and began rubbing her head in it after a moment.

"She really is wonderful" Daphne declared with a smile.

"She is" Harry whispered. "I come here a lot" he explained. "It's one of the only places I can just be alone and not worry about anything".

"Then why would you bring us here?" Daphne asked with a slight frown.

"Because the other place I get that feeling is when I'm with you" he answered simply.

Daphne just smiled at the young man. He had the entire world on his shoulders yet, he was one of the most kind and gentle men you would ever meet, until you upset him that is. Then he was both merciless and ruthless and an enemy you did not want.

She had seen both sides of the young man and loved them equally; they balanced each other out perfectly. Seeing him how he was now, it would be hard to believe that he could be such a dangerous man with a wand in his hand. But seeing him with a wand in his hand and in battle, you would never believe that he could be so gentle, as he was demonstrating now. She knew that she was lucky as she was one of very few people that got to see both sides of Harry Potter.

"I think lunch will be ready now" Ophelia cut in reluctantly.

"You can come here any time you like" Harry offered. "Just don't come out here alone" he advised.

The group left the wooded area and began walking back towards the house.

"Shit" Jonathan said suddenly. "I guess they are the griffins" he added pointing to the 7 beasts that were watching them and pawing the ground grumpily.

"That's them" Harry replied with a nod.

"They are huge" Ophelia gasped.

"And surly bastards too" Harry grumbled.

The group began walking again when they were cut short by a screech. Harry immediately drew his wand only to see the 7 creatures still stood where they were. Harry frowned and looked around quickly spotting something a lot smaller than the griffins running towards them.

"They had another baby" he said in realisation as he recognised that the smaller beast was in fact a younger griffin.

He noticed that the group of Griffins started approaching clearly a mixture of being distraught and angry.

Making a decision he scooped up the younger creature, that couldn't be very old at all and walked towards them to meet them halfway.

"Harry" Daphne called worriedly, but was pulled back by her father.

"They're angry, you have to let him handle it" he explained. "They at least know him".

Daphne swallowed and nodded reluctantly.

Harry approached the lead male who was giving him a murderous look, screeching and ruffling its feathers threateningly.

"I bought her back for you" he said gently and placed the baby on the floor. He stepped back holding his hands out to his side to show that he wasn't a threat.

The little griffin screeched and ran back towards him. Harry looked at the others who were eying him critically by this point.

"Come on little one" he cooed. "You have to go back to your family".

He picked the baby up once more and nervously approached the group. Upon reaching them he placed it on the floor once more and stepped away again only to be approached by the smaller golden griffin and sniffed tentatively.

"I guess she is yours then" Harry surmised nodding to the smaller, green creature.

The griffin nodded, gave a low throaty growl and began nibbling his hand affectionately, much to his surprise.

He chuckled.

"I guess you've had bad experiences of wizards in the past" he stated.

The griffin just growled again and was joined by the rest of the group who approached him slowly and sniffed him, growling in apparent approval.

"I wouldn't ever hurt any of you" he whispered gently and reached his other hand out to pet them, which they allowed and even seemed to enjoy. "You can come and see me any time, you are safe here, I promise" he explained.

The griffins screeched in approval and ruffled their feathers but it was much less threatening this time.

"I will see you soon" Harry said happily as he turned away and walked back towards the Greengrass's.

Jonathan shook his head disbelievingly.

"It looks like he made some new friends" he exclaimed with amusement.

Daphne just sighed in relief that he hadn't been harmed.

"I guess they are just very misunderstood" Harry proclaimed as he approached them.

"You sound just like Hagrid did" Astoria replied.

Harry chuckled in remembrance at the half-giant's attitude towards what people considered dangerous animals.

"Can we eat now?" Ophelia asked as her stomach gave a deep rumble causing the rest of them to laugh.

Lunch was a peaceful affair where they shared simple conversations and just enjoyed the festivity of the day. Harry found that he was in much brighter spirits than when he had woken up and was grateful for the family that he was sharing the time with.

It was just after they had finished desert that they were interrupted by the sound of a frantic elf talking to someone in the hallway.

"Oh god, please don't be Dobby" Harry pleaded with a mumble.

"Young miss must be waiting" he heard one of the Greengrass elves shouting.

Harry turned as the door opened and saw someone he was not expecting to see today stood there.

"Natalie?" he asked in surprise.

The girl just stood staring at him, clutching the gold bracelet he had given her with her bottom lip trembling and tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked worriedly standing.

The girl said nothing but instead launched herself across the room and into the teen's arms crying into his chest with wracking sobs.

Harry was shocked but quickly wrapped his arms around the girl.

"What did you do?" Daphne asked him with a look of concern.

"I don't know" he answered truthfully.

"I'm sorry Jonathan" the voice of Sirius sounded from the door way as the man entered with Marlene in tow. "She insisted on seeing Harry" he explained.

"Don't be silly Sirius" Jonathan dismissed. "I told you that you are welcome here any time the day I gave you the location of the house, join us" he finished gesturing to the table.

Sirius nodded gratefully and led his wife to the table where they sat and watched the young girl in Harry's arms.

"Is she ok?" the teen asked them quietly.

They both smiled softly and nodded.

"Just overwhelmed I think" Sirius explained.

It took a few moments but Natalie extracted herself from Harry's chest and looked at him through her watery eyes.

"You're really my godfather?" she choked out. "You want me as your family?" she added hopefully.

Harry just smiled gently at the girl and pulled her into a hug.

"You were already my family" he whispered. "Now it's just official".

Natalie just nodded and choked back another sob.

"What is going on?" Astoria asked impatiently.

"Well I'm guessing that she's quite happy about the adoption" Harry stated with a look towards Marlene and Sirius.

"You adopted her?" Jonathan asked in shock.

"We did" Sirius answered putting an arm around his wife. "With Harry's help we managed it" he explained.

"I didn't do much" Harry cut in with a shake of his head.

"If it wasn't for you it wouldn't have happened" Marlene replied genuinely.

"She deserves to be happy" Harry responded quietly. "And that is definitely with the two of you" he added sincerely looking at the newlyweds. "I would have given all the gold in both vaults for that" he finished firmly.

"What did you do?" Daphne asked.

"We had to go through the muggle system which was the easy part" Sirius explained. "It was the ministry that was the problem. With Marlene being a werewolf and me an ex-convict, wrongfully convicted of course, they turned down our application. Harry went in and reminded them why you should not mess with the Potters or the Blacks" he finished with a gleeful grin.

"What did you do?" Daphne asked with narrowed eyes.

"I may have told them they can start fighting their own battles if they didn't allow Natalie to be adopted by them" Harry answered sheepishly.

"How very Slytherin of you" Jonathan said in amusement.

"That is definitely the Black side" Sirius agreed.

"Natalie, can I borrow him for a moment?" Daphne asked casually.

Natalie looked towards the girl and then back at Harry.

"I think you might be in trouble again" she whispered to the teen who flinched at the thought.

She stood and stepped away as Daphne approached.

Harry swallowed as he saw the look in the girl's eyes.

"You, Harry Potter, are the most sweetest person I have ever met" she declared giving him a searing kiss and wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her face in his shoulder.

Harry gratefully wrapped his arms around the girl and smiled.

"You're not mad?" he asked.

"How can I be mad at you for that?" she asked emotionally.

She looked up at him, her eyes full of unshed tears, and smiled.

"How are you such a good person?" she asked a little sadly.

"Because of the people I have around me" he answered honestly. "If it wasn't for all of you I'd be on a very dark and lonely road that only ends in one place" he added truthfully. "It's all of this" he said gesturing to everyone in the room, "that I fight for and that makes me who I am, that and a surly old git who showed me the way and where I come from" he finished with a chuckle.

Daphne just smiled at him.

"Don't ever change" she whispered as she kissed him again.

"Never" Harry promised.

For now they could all just be content by spending the holidays with those they cared for and not have to worry about anything else for the moment. The war and all the darkness was put to the back of their minds as they celebrated Christmas together as friends and a growing family of Black's and Potters.

 **A/N**

 **I believe this is the longest one yet. I have decided that I will be going ahead and writing another fic after this one is complete. I have a few more ideas that will bother me until I get them down in words so I'm afraid you can expect more from me, a good thing if you enjoy what it is I write.**

 **Thank you all for following and reviewing etch as usual, it means a lot to me.**

 **I have been asked if I am going to do a sequel for this and the answer is sadly a no. I don't think there is enough substance to justify it but I will certainly be writing an epilogue so it won't end in some really obscure manner.**

 **I have had both some reviews and PM's asking some very trivial questions. All I have to say is please use some imagination and think about the question you are asking. I will always reply to a message if I feel that something does need to be pointed out but I would much rather be writing than spending time answering questions that can be figured out by reading between the lines.**

 **Thank you all as usual**

 **TBR**

 **PS, Clearly I have been watching a lot of Christmas movies recently but I won't apologise for my references to them.**


	18. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 18: The Beginning of the End

Mid-January found Harry at one of two places he now spent almost all of his waking time, those being his training room in Potter Manor and his desk in the Black house. He was currently sat at his desk immersed in the work he had to complete for Mad-eye Moody, a man he equally loved and hated as it went.

He loved the man for the challenge he had given him with this particular workload but hated him also for the very same reason. There was no doubt that it was quite the task he had been set and the young man had a very good understanding of obtaining a mastery entailed. The study hours were long and the ones spent writing even longer but he found that he enjoyed it overall and it truly gave him a much better understanding of magic; he even felt more bonded and in control of his own through the understanding he was gaining.

Since Christmas day he had found that he had a new determination to succeed. Not that he hadn't been motivated before, but something had awoken within him after spending a day such as the one he had with them all; Sirius, Natalie, Marlene and the Greengrass's.

But it was the final member of the group that had given him something that he had sorely needed and always had when he came to ponder it; complete utter care and unwavering faith.

Yes, he had gotten that from Arcturus but the man had expectations and he certainly let them be known regularly.

What he had from Daphne was different. It was as though there was nothing he couldn't do that would disappoint her if he failed at it but had given it his all, and that was the difference.

She expected nothing from him other than for him to be himself and she just wanted to be with him for who he was. She had said so herself many times but Harry had always had expectations thrust upon him, even by those that he knew did care for him so had found it difficult to take the words of the girl to heart.

Both Ron and Hermione had been guilty of it as had Sirius and even Dumbledore and Arcturus. But Daphne had never once had expectations other than for him to try his best at whatever he was doing and it was a much change in his life.

It was because of this that he found that he could open himself up to the girl. He could speak his mind and speak about his insecurities and be confident that she would help him in any way she could, expecting nothing in return.

She truly cared for Harry, just Harry and not what everyone thought of him or expected from their hero and saviour, as he was often referred to.

It was this understanding and realisation about the girl that had made a few subtle but noteworthy changes within the teen, something he was both very happy and nervous about.

He no longer had such a blasé attitude towards death and it was quite the revelation to the young man.

He certainly had no fear of it, of that he could be sure. But he no longer secretly found himself wishing for it as he had done often enough since the night in the graveyard.

He had been given hope in some form for a future after Riddle had been ended; something he hadn't allowed himself to look into much because he knew there was a chance that he would never have it.

He now had a new sense of determination in his fight and that determination was to live and share more days with those he cared for such as the Christmas that had just passed.

It was no longer about vengeance by any means necessary, but vengeance with added goals that could only be achieved if he was successful and lived.

The determination manifested itself in the way that Harry now worked and spent his life.

He would train as he usually would but much more vigorously in every aspect and then study and soak up as much knowledge about his two best subjects. He had even brought the Dark Arts library for the office in Potter Manor so he could read through it after he had had a conversation with his grandfather about the collection.

Charlus had assured him that he was not in fact a Dark wizard in disguise but explained that he wanted as much knowledge as possible in what he could potentially be facing one day, thus his collection was born through serious monetary expenditure and effort in finding the books.

Harry found that he agreed with the man and decided that most of these spells would not be his usual practice by any means, but when it came to Riddle; he would throw every last spell at him regardless of how dark it was to ensure his victory.

Harry had thought about this long and hard and decided that he would use every spell available to him in his final confrontation. Riddle would not be holding back and Harry realised he shouldn't either. It was a fight to the death and the young man was determined that he would not be falling on that day, no matter what magic he had to use, he was going to win.

He rubbed his eyes and saw that it was late but was pleased with the progress he had made. He knew with his current pace that he would be finished with both of the projects by Easter, much faster than expected or anticipated.

He readied himself for bed and made his nightly call to the young blonde that seemed to be occupying much more of his thoughts recently before turning in for the night, sleeping and repeating the day's activities over again.

He was however disturbed before sleep came by a tapping on the window.

He opened it and a crow entered carrying an envelope in its beak. It simply deposited the letter on the desk, glared at the teen with clear contempt before exiting with a loud and ear-splitting screech.

Harry opened the missive and frowned as he read it shaking his head irritably.

The frown quickly turned into a scowl and his eyes glowed dangerously.

He picked up a quill and some parchment before scratching out a reply to the sender.

"We will see about that" he growled angrily as he sent Hedwig off with the note.

 _(BREAK)_

Life for Narcissa Malfoy had become nothing short of unbearable since Lucius had been marked as a wanted for his part in the death of Cornelius Fudge.

He had not physically attacked her again but she could see knew that chances of it happening again increased more each day that passed.

He now spent his days brooding the manor in a foul mood taking his ire out on all of those he knew he could push around and get away with it. She had seen and heard him several times torturing lower level members of the Dark Lord's followers and soon started to feel quite disdainful towards the man; it was as though she was seeing who he truly was for the time.

Ever since her sister had confirmed that it was in fact Lucius that led the attack on the orphanage during the summer, the sight of the man she had married made her feel rather sick and she knew the day was fast approaching when she would have to make a decision on whether she remained in her home or sought shelter within the confines of her family; something she couldn't be assured of, even if Potter had promised her sanctuary.

The truth was that she feared the unknown. This had been her home for many years and had been largely happy here. She had her son and a husband that she did love once upon a time but now, even though it was more full than it ever had been, it felt empty.

She merely existed here. There was no longer love to be found in this house; it had become nothing more than a den of debauchery and sin of the most foul kind.

Narcissa had never been an evil person. She had wanted to be a healer, something she knew she was good at. But Lucius had been adamant that she would have his children and insisted that no woman with the name Malfoy would bring shame to him by working amongst the dregs of society. She was above this and above working for what he saw as a pittance, soiling her hands with the blood and filth of the unworthy.

So her dream had died, even before it had begun. Narcissa Black, the caring and gifted young witch had become Narcissa Malfoy; stay at home mother and trophy.

She cried gently at what had become of her life and for her own foolishness.

She had always wanted to see the best in her husband and had clearly achieved that. To her he had always been confident and strong, handsome even. But to the rest of the world he was scum; blackmailing his way to the top and pandering to those that he thought had power. It had been the Dark Lord at first, and then Fudge and now the Dark Lord once again.

She now saw the man for what he truly was; a coward, an opportunist and that made him rather ugly. He was no longer the handsome blonde man that had wooed her all those years ago, but a conniving conman and his greatest trick had been having the young girl she once was believe that he was anything but.

She knew she needed to leave but did she dare? Could she place her fate in the hands of the young man that had caused her son's imprisonment? Could she trust her life to the man that wanted to destroy everything she had once lived for?

'What choice do I have?' she thought to herself morosely.

She had to think or she had to plan. She couldn't be sure.

 _(BREAK)_

Hermione Granger was stood in the potions dungeon, tending to several bubbling cauldrons at once.

Ever since she had seen the duel between Harry and Nott Senior she had been working tirelessly on her potions and healing spells. Her realisation that she simply did not have the physical ability or mind-set to duel or battle the way she had seen had spurred her into the studies of potions and healing with vigour.

She had spent time with Madame Pomfrey, along with Hannah Abbott of all people, learning as much as she possibly could from the matron who was delighted to tutor and teach the two teens everything she could.

To her delight, it was a branch of magic that she and her Hufflepuff companion excelled at. They quickly realised that healing was not a craft forged through power, but was one of delicacy and finesse, something they both had, whereas their power was certainly no more than average.

Hannah was not particularly gifted with potions however so left Hermione to that aspect of things. She was rather good at Herbology though and, with the help of Neville, had been growing her own supply of various plants that were used in healing potions. She would then harvest them and hand the ingredients to the Gryffindor who would brew the potions they would need.

The two had formed rather a close bond of the last several months and worked together well, something they knew would be needed when the time came.

Hermione was secretly grateful that Snape had gone missing or she certainly would not be allowed to be in the potion rooms outside of planned lesson time.

Slughorn was very accommodating and had an open door policy to all students who wished to work on their brewing. He would often come in and offer invaluable advice and observations when he knew students were in there. On a few occasions he had even brewed more of the potions that Hermione was working on to bolster their stores further, something that was certainly appreciated.

She had encountered a small issue once the potion stores they had built became impossible to store in hers and Hannah's trunks.

She searched and searched for a charm or a spell that could help and had been successful in her efforts a few weeks later.

She had her parents send her several muggle messenger bags and began experimenting with several spell combinations to see which would work the best and was very pleased with the final outcome of her work.

She showed her creation to her friend who was simply amazed by what the bushy-haired girl had created.

"These are incredible Hermione" the girl praised as she inspected the bag she had been handed.

"It's just a few charms" Hermione replied with a blush.

"No, these are complete genius, even the healers at St. Mungo's don't have things as good as these" Hannah explained. "You could sell these things, any healer would buy them" she added excitedly.

She had managed to compartmentalise the bags into separate sections in which different potions could be stored. Expansion charms were added to these sections and she had managed to add a voice command spell to them separately. All the owner had to do was open the bag and call out the potion they wanted and it would appear at the top of the bag without having to search through it.

"They're not perfect" Hermione replied with a shake of her head. "But I can make them better if we had more time" she finished confidently.

"You should definitely think about selling them" Hannah suggested.

"Something to think about later I guess" Hermione shrugged.

Things really had changed for the girl considerably over the past year. The main thing that had become different, much to her sadness, was her friendship with Ron.

It seemed that he had finally realised that he needed to study and work hard but since school had resumed in September he had settled in to his previous habits of laziness and mediocrity that were now more prominent due to the fact he was only studying three subjects, leaving him with a lot of free time in which he could procrastinate and be even more slovenly.

She hadn't stopped being his friend entirely but could no longer stand his negligent stance towards anything other than chess or quidditch. She had long since refused to help him with his work deciding that if he didn't care about his future then why should she?

Hermione Granger had done something she never had before; she had given up on helping someone better themselves but it was a relief more than a burden.

There was only so much she knew she could do because the fact was; Ron's life was in his own hands and she would not always be there to guide him or in some cases, do everything for him that needed to be done.

It was a harsh lesson, but one the boy needed to learn and for now; Hermione had much more important things to do. She had potions to brew and more healing spells to learn. She would be useful in this war, even though she knew she couldn't fight but she would keep those who could alive and healthy, to the best of her abilities.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore sat at the head of the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place ready to start a meeting of the order of the phoenix. Seeing that his entire group had assembled he cleared his throat and began.

"Does anyone have anything to report?" he asked.

Silence reigned in the room until Moody spoke.

"It's quiet Albus, too quiet" he said knowingly.

Dumbledore nodded, he was thinking the same thing as his long-time friend.

"Indeed" he mused aloud. "I believe Tom is assembling his forces for a final push" he surmised causing looks of concern to flicker around the room.

"Surely it won't be so soon?" Arthur Weasley asked worriedly.

"Significant damage has been done to his ranks largely due to the work of both Harry and Sirius" Dumbledore explained. "It is not a war of attrition we are in but a conflict I imagine will end much sooner than later" he added.

"Is Potter ready?" Elphias Doge questioned.

"Voldemort has no idea what he is getting himself into if he chooses to fight Harry, and we all know his ego wouldn't allow it to be any other way" Sirius cut in gravely.

"You believe in the boy that much?" Doge retorted.

"I have seen Harry do things that astound me" Sirius explained with a shake of his head. "None of you have seen what he is capable, hell I doubt even I have and I train with him every day".

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly at this.

"It is not Tom that concerns me" he announced, surprising most in the room. "Harry is more than capable of defeating him, it is his followers that need to be our concern" he said darkly. "Alastor, how may capable aurors do you have?" he asked the heavily scarred man who wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"There is no doubt that we are outnumbered" he intoned seriously. "I have 220 men and I would only say around half are worth their salt with a wand" he added with a grimace. "But we will fight with everything we have" he finished with a sinister grin.

Dumbledore knew they would be outnumbered. He estimated that Tom's numbers were probably around 400 strong with the werewolves, not including the Dementors.

"There is no time to train more men" Dumbledore replied with a shake of his head. "Do the best you can with the men you have Alastor" he instructed.

"Aye" Moody agreed. "I will get them whipped into shape old school" he muttered darkly.

He knew just the two men he needed to help him. He gave a knowing smirk towards Sirius who grinned, clearly knowing what the man was thinking.

"Anything else?" Dumbledore asked.

No one spoke and Dumbledore was about to dismiss them when the kitchen door banged open to reveal a very intense looking Harry Potter, his eyes glowing with a reigned in fury.

"Harry?" Dumbledore questioned.

Harry ignored him and approached Sirius, handing him the letter he had received the previous night.

 _Mr Potter,_

 _I believe a conversation between us is necessary. You murdered three of my son's and I demand recompense._

 _I urge you not to ignore this letter as I currently have three of your countrymen in my care that I will execute should you do so. I even took the care to use their blood for the ink of which you are now reading._

 _Name a time and place and I will come so long as it is public._

 _You may bring one associate and I shall do the same._

 _Do not keep me waiting,_

 _Count Denislav III_

Sirius sighed.

"When?" he questioned his godson.

"Now" Harry growled.

Sirius stood and placed a kiss on his wife's cheek before nodding his readiness.

"What has happened Harry?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.

Harry just took the letter from Sirius and handed it to the older man who read it with an expression of apprehension.

"Oh dear" he muttered shaking his head. "What do you intend on doing?" he asked.

"I will not negotiate with him, I told him to leave and he has refused" Harry gritted out.

Dumbledore swallowed.

"Vampires are not known for diplomacy" he explained gravely. "This will get messy" he said knowingly.

"Vampires?" Marlene questioned wide-eyed.

"I'm not going in as a diplomat" Harry cut in with a dark grin.

"Do you need another wand?" Moody asked eagerly.

"Actually, I could use you and Shacklebolt, if you don't mind" he replied questioningly.

"Aye come Kingsley" Moody commanded and the man followed a little reluctantly.

Harry led the men from the house as he informed them of his plan.

He knew the Vampire would not come with just one other and he certainly did not trust the man so he would have Kingsley and Moody there as back-up that he would likely need.

 _(BREAK)_

Count Deinslav was young for one of his kind. His 200 year old body was well-built and lean, his hair still the light brown he had been born with and his skin unblemished and smooth.

He had ascended to his position of power through the calculated murder of his father who had become weak and too pliable to the wizards that governed Russia. The man disgusted his son and he had to be replaced, it was that simple.

The coven had not hunted legally for over a century and Denislav loved to hunt and feed on blood straight from the source be it muggle or magical blood, but laws had been introduced to stop that but concessions had been made for his kind.

The wizarding government would provide them with blood willingly given as long as the vampires agreed to stop hunting or they themselves would be mercilessly hunted.

The vampires at first had refused the bargain and continued to hunt regardless of the laws and the threat made against them; a huge mistake on their part.

True to the proclamation the wizards began hunting and killing them mercilessly and their numbers began to dwindle significantly so his father had negotiated a deal and the hunting had to stop much to the disgust of the now leader of his people.

For 85 years he fed on nothing but blood that was provided for them and it sickened him. It did not taste the same and was very lacklustre without the hunt that would come before the feed. This was unacceptable and Denislav knew something had to be done to reconvene their way of life, thus his plot to take over was born.

He and a few cohorts had simply killed his father while he slept and immediately took his place as head of the coven.

For a few years they had managed to feed without consequence until the wizards became aware of what they were doing and again began hunting them down and killing them with extreme prejudice.

Denislav and his people retreated once more to the safety of their community where he ruled them with an iron fist. He became cocky, arrogant and very boorish in his place of power and none dared to challenge or question his authority and if they did, they would be brutally dealt with and paraded around the streets to demonstrate what would happen to any who did, something he had done on many occasions to his own people.

He drank the blood provided for him and his people reluctantly but the desire to hunt could not be quashed and he did not want it to but he knew they could not hunt because his people numbered so few.

And then came along an Englishman claiming to be one of darkness who would soon seize control of the land he came from. He offered Denislav and his people the chance to hunt unhindered for their aide in battle when the time came.

Denislav jumped at the chance. Not only would he be able to hunt again but he would get to sample some new blood and fresh blood at that, straight from the source as he liked.

But things had taken quite a turn within hours of being in the country.

Three of his son's had been killed by what he learnt was a mere boy who dared threaten him and his people, something that the vampire did not take kindly to.

The son who returned clearly feared the boy but he was weak and Denislav would not take the word of a coward to heart.

He made enquiries into the name Potter, the name his son had given him, and found that the boy was a hero to the people.

He had learnt much from the newspapers spanning the last 15 years and found that the boy was mildly impressive. But again he knew that newspapers were exaggerated mostly and did not believe that a boy of sixteen could be capable of what he had read.

He decided that he would meet the boy and teach him a lesson; no one got away with attacking his people and threatening him without consequence.

He was currently sat in a bar called the Leaky Cauldron sipping on a goblet of blood that he had brought himself.

The boy had instructed him to wait for him in a private parlour that he had already reserved and he would meet him here.

Denislav smirked at the thought of ripping the boy limb from limb for what he had done. He would show him why he headed the vampires of Russia and why he had a reputation of being a particularly vicious ruler.

Now all he had to do was wait for the boy to arrive.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry entered the pub with Sirius in tow and entered the bar as he spotted Tom stood behind it, polishing glasses.

"Lord Potter" the barman greeted him with surprise. "What can I get for you?" he asked.

"As much privacy as you can please Tom" Harry replied placing a fair sized bag of gold on the counter. "I have quite an unsavoury guest waiting for me upstairs I believe" he explained.

"Ahh it is you he is meeting" he realised. "Yes he does seem rather uncouth" he added with a look of distaste.

He eyed the bag the young man had placed on the bar knowing that half a year's takings were within at the very least.

"You will have all the privacy you need Lord Potter" he acquiesced.

"Thank you" Harry said gratefully with a bow.

He gestured for Sirius to follow him and headed toward the stairs that led to the private rooms.

Sirius noticed the change in his godson's demeanour instantly and gripped the handle of his wand in anticipation.

Harry entered the room he had reserved and immediately saw the two vampires sat at the table facing the door, one he recognised as the man who had been at Amelia Bones' house and the other being completely unfamiliar to the teen.

"About time you j…." the other man began angrily but was immediately cut off as he was launched across the room and impacted against the wall with a loud crash.

Before he could catch his bearings he found himself stuck to the wall, completely unable to move any part of his body. He saw his son was in the same position with the other man pointing a wand in his face with a look of fury on his face. He realised he was in the same position and could see a brightly glowing pair of green eyes glaring into his own with venom.

"I told you and your people to leave" Harry hissed at the man. "Did you not get the message?" he asked.

Denislav looked at the whelp with complete disgust but couldn't help feeling awed by the amount of powerful magic he possessed. In all his years he had only met one other with magic like it and that was the man he had accompanied to this country.

"Vhy vould I listen to a mere boy?" he spat in a thick Russian accent. "I haf pissed for more years than you haf lived" he said with a defiant sneer.

"Because I have promised that any man who follows Riddle will be treated equally" Harry responded. "And that is with complete contempt" he added promisingly. "You have now cost yourself and your people your lives by failing to leave when I gave you the chance, instead you decide to kidnap, harm and embarrass three members of our society and that is something that we do not take kindly to" he finished quietly and dangerously, gesturing between himself and his godfather who nodded his agreement stiffly.

"You vill not find my people" Denislav growled clearly getting very angry by the boy. "You killed three of my sons and I vant justice".

"Is that so?" Harry questioned. "You will get no justice here" he informed the man. "I told your son there that you will only find death and suffering here and I am a man of my word" he declared sincerely.

"Vot can a boy do to 200 vampires?" Denislav asked disbelievingly.

Harry smirked.

"I'm glad you asked" he returned.

He began drawing runes into the air with his wand while muttering in German, a spell from one of his grandfather's acquired books.

Denislav frowned as he watched the wizard muttering in a different language while drawing strange shapes in the air with his wand. He had no idea what the boy was doing but could feel something changing within him, something that made him uncomfortable.

It was then that he felt something he hadn't felt in many, many years, not since his father had changed him.

He could feel a gentle rhythmic thudding in his chest and he felt the need of something he hadn't needed since that night also.

It took a few moments for his body to react to his need as it hadn't performed that function in so long. He thought he would faint from the lack of what he needed until his lungs sucked in the first breath he had taken for over a century and a half.

"What have you done to me?" he asked the boy breathlessly, clearly fearful as he could feel a cold creeping in to his skin.

"It's quite a handy spell isn't it?" the boy questioned with an amused smile. "I have made you mortal, to some extent" he explained with a smirk.

The Vampire's eyebrows rose at the implications at what had been done to him.

"It is quite reversible" Harry continued. "Though that spell is just as rare as this one and comes from the same handwritten book. You are essentially nothing more than a man again but your body will age much quicker" he said as he began pacing in front of the man.

"Why am I still thirsty?" Denislav asked, now panicking.

"You are?" Harry asked in surprise. "Well that is an unexpected side-effect" he said thoughtfully. "Well this spell wasn't specifically designed for vampires so it makes sense that it wouldn't work entirely" he finished scratching his chin.

"What was it designed for?" Sirius asked curiously.

"It was actually created for phoenixes" Harry answered. "It's not what you think" he added seeing the look of shock on his godfather's face. "A phoenix helped him create it for his kind" he explained.

"Why?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"The wizard who wrote the book was an expert in magical creatures and one his friends had a phoenix familiar" Harry began. "His friend and phoenix had such a powerful bond but the man grew old and the phoenix knew he would eventually die" he continued. "The phoenix did not want to live without his companion so begged the man to find a way that he could pass on with him and that is where the creator of the spell came in. He worked with his friend and the phoenix that gave him as much information as possible about the way in which his kind were reborn from their ashes and he eventually managed to create this spell so that the bird would be mortal and simply die on its next burning day" he finished.

"That's amazing" Sirius answered after a moment of thinking with a shake of his head.

"It used to be fairly common for a phoenix to find the man after their companion had passed on" Harry explained. "He performed the spell on five others in his lifetime" he shrugged.

"Wow" Sirius intoned. "How did you know it would work here?" he asked.

"I wasn't entirely sure it would" Harry admitted. "I changed a few of the runes and I guess that was enough".

"You just winged it then?" Sirius questioned disbelievingly. "You could have killed us all" he realised aloud with a yelp.

"Well I didn't" Harry shrugged casually.

Sirius just shook his head.

"Now Mr Denislav, are you going to take me to your people?" Harry asked firmly. "The more cooperative you are the more likely it is that I will reverse what I have done to you and then you can just go home and carry on with your life, I'm sure you won't be coming back here" he finished threateningly.

"Nott Manor" Denislav sighed in defeat. "It is under some fiddly spell or something" he explained hurriedly, not liking the feeling of breathing or being sensitive to the elements.

"Are you the secret keeper?" Harry asked to which the man nodded reluctantly.

"Write it down" Harry demanded conjuring some ink, a quill and some parchment before he unfroze one arm of the man so he could comply. "Sirius" he called after the man had written it down. "Check it out" he instructed.

Sirius nodded firmly and disaaparated after he read the note.

"If he is not back in two minutes, I promise you are going to suffer" Harry whispered dangerously to the man who just swallowed deeply.

Denislav knew the young wizard was not joking.

Sirius returned less than a minute later and just nodded.

Harry sent off a patronus to summon Moody and Shacklebolt who arrived a moment later, the younger man looking a little peaky and fearful.

"What have you done?" he asked worriedly.

"Negotiated" Harry replied simply causing Moody to roar in laughter.

"Vampires don't negotiate" Kingsley said with a disbelieving shake of his head.

"They do when they have the right encouragement" Harry responded casually. "We are taking a trip" he announced.

"Where?" Moody asked.

Sirius handed the parchment to the gnarled head of the DMLE who read it with a grin before passing it to his subordinate who paled considerably.

"You want us to confront an entire coven?" he asked weakly.

"Don't worry Kingsley" Moody said comfortingly. "I'm sure Potter knows what he is doing" he added excitedly clapping the dark skinned man on the shoulder jovially while barking out another laugh.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Kingsley asked his boss.

"Aye lad, it's been a long time since I've felt more alive" he explained gleefully.

Kingsley shook his head again.

"Looks like alive is something we won't be by the end of the night" he muttered.

Harry and Sirius bound the hands of their prisoners together before removing them from the wall and disapparating with them being followed shortly by an excited Moody and much more reluctant Kingsley.

 _(BREAK)_

The group arrived outside a large manor house and Harry immediately grabbed Denislav by the scruff of his collar and dragged him towards the gate that was closed and clearly locked.

With a growl, Harry removed his wand and fired a powerful blasting curse at the large iron constructs and blew them clean off their hinges sending them crashing on to the path in front of them.

Without hesitation he entered the grounds of the manor to see several people staring at him and his companions, wide-eyed and in shock.

"Cover my back" he instructed Moody and Kingsley and began making his way to the house dragging his prisoner along with him.

He came to the front door and pushed it open. Stepping inside the large entrance hall he could hear a lot of activity coming from every discernible location in the house so he placed his wand to his throat and spoke out.

"Everyone in this house will come to the entrance hall immediately, you have 1 minute comply" he demanded in a booming voice that echoed around the walls of the property.

After only a few seconds people wearing looks of confusion followed quickly by fear began to appear in the room coming from within and the outside of the house.

"Everyone stand where I can see you" Harry commanded in a low yet authoritative voice.

When people stopped appearing he looked around the room at those that had joined them critically.

"Is this all of you?" he asked.

"Da, it is all of us" a pale blonde woman answered nervously.

"Good" harry replied. "Can you all understand English?" he questioned.

"Njet" the same woman replied. "I can translate for you" she offered.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the woman but nodded his consent.

"You had better say exactly what I do" he said warningly.

The woman swallowed deeply but nodded her compliance.

The room was silent for a moment until Harry began speaking once again.

"Four of your kind attempted to kill our minister of magic" he began causing looks of shock to resonate throughout the room. "I killed three of the attackers and sent this one back with instructions" he continued gesturing to the man that had accompanied Denislav. "I told you you should all leave because the next time I come across your kind here I wouldn't leave a single one of you alive" he finished dangerously.

A lot of murmuring and protests in Russian could be heard after the woman had fearfully translated what the young man had said to them.

"Njet, please ve do not vant to fight" the woman said deperately. "Ve did not even vant to come here, ve vanted to stay in our home" she explained hurriedly causing Harry to frown.

"Then why did you come?" he asked the woman.

She swallowed a nervous gulp and her eyes flickered to the man who Harry still clutched.

"He made you" Harry said in realisation, nodding towards Denislav.

The vampires looked very nervous and reluctant to answer, fidgeting uncomfortably.

Harry began to get an idea of the type of man Denislav was. He could see that the rest of the vampires were clearly terrified of the man.

"Explain" he implored much more gently than he had spoken so far. "Don't worry about him, I promise he will not hurt you" he reassured them.

The woman looked around her group as she explained and received a few nods.

"It has been illegal for us to hunt in Russia for close to two centuries now" she began with a sigh. "At first ve ignored this and continued hunting as ve did but then the government began hunting and killing us in large numbers" she said sadly. "Our numbers dropped considerably so our leader at the time, his father" she spoke pointing to Denislav, "agreed that ve vould stop hunting and the government vould provide us with blood" she explained.

"Seems fair" Harry observed.

"Ve Vere happy vith it" the woman declared. "Ve vere safe and ve had blood" she shrugged. "And then he killed his father and took his place" she added with another sigh pointing at a now nervously shaking Denislav. "Things changed quickly and he began hunting again" she elaborated shaking her head.

"And the government started hunting you again" Harry cut in knowingly.

"Da" the woman said sadly. "Ve once numbered in zhe thousands and zis all zhat is left of us" she explained gesturing around the room. "He stopped hunting from fear of being killed and instead began ruling us vis brutality. Many of us have been made vidows and orphans because of him and his regime" she continued emotionally. "Our lives have been miserable" she proclaimed. "And zhen he and his followers bought us here to feed and fight in something ve know nothing about" she finished sadly.

Harry took in everything that the woman had said and looked around to see a lot of scared people clearly waiting to see what fate had in store for them. He could see that the woman was being honest with him.

He growled angrily at what he had been told and turned Denislav round to face him before levelling the man with a solid punch to the jaw that sent the man sprawling.

"You dare treat your own people like that" he hissed angrily. "I hate bullies and tyrants like you" he spat angrily before kicking the man in the ribs causing a loud crunch to reverberate around the room and the man to whimper and moan in pain.

"Which of you are his followers?" he growled turning back towards the group of vampires that were looking even more nervous.

"Zhey are not here" the woman explained frantically. "Zhey stay vis zhe Dark Lord at a different home".

Harry nodded and took a deep breath before dragging his hand through his hair in an effort to calm down.

"If I told you all to go home, would you?" he asked.

"Da" the woman answered immediately. "Ve just vant to go home and live in peace" she added hopefully.

"Ok then I will let you go home" Harry said simply.

The woman translated what he said and a sigh of relief could be heard from many.

"You vill let us go just like zhat?" the woman questioned him sceptically.

Harry nodded.

"Yes" he confirmed. "You don't want to be here and were dragged here unwillingly" he conceded gratefully. "I can't hold that against you" he finished with a nod.

"Zhank you" the woman responded gratefully and pulled him into a tight hug much to his surprise. "But vill zhey not just come back also?" she asked worriedly.

"No" Harry answered confidently. "If they serve Riddle they will die" he explained.

"So you do not hate us because of vhat ve are and von't kill us?" a man in the crowd asked disbelevingly.

"No" Harry replied firmly. "I do not hate you because you are vampires, one of the men I respect the most in the world is a werewolf, and my godfather is married to one" he added. "I hate and treat any who serve Tom Riddle with equal disdain and those who harm innocent people the same way" he explained. "I don't hold prejudices like a lot of wizards some of my best friends have been of mixed blood and race" he finished.

"And vhat about him?" the same man asked pointing towards Denislav.

"He's mortal now" Harry shrugged causing many of the vampires to gasp.

"You can do zhat?" the woman asked fearfully.

"I can, but you don't have to worry" he assured her. "That knowledge will stay with myself and my family" he said promisingly.

The woman nodded and looked very relieved.

"So ve can just go home zhen?" she asked with a frown.

"Yes" Harry replied. "You do not have to worry about him or his followers they will leave you alone".

"How can you be sure?" she questioned.

"Because I am going to send him back to his followers as an example" Harry responded darkly. "They will see that he is mortal and he will tell them why and that you are protected by me. Isn't that right?" he asked the man firmly who nodded and whimpered again.

"You vould protect us if zhey came back?" she asked sceptically.

"I would if it keeps you peaceful and not attacking innocent people" he explained.

The woman and several vampires that could understand English nodded readily in agreement.

"There is one other thing" Harry stated. "He has taken three English people prisoner, are they here?" he asked.

"Ve have seen no prisoners" she responded confusedly.

Harry turned towards Denislav and raised a questioning eyebrow at the man.

"Zhe basement, I put zhem zhere zis morning" he revealed.

"Please ve did not know they vere zhere, ve are not allowed in zhe basement" the woman pleaded.

"Have them brought up please" Harry requested tiredly.

The woman nodded and instructed two men in the crowd to go and fetch them.

They returned a few moments later with the three men who were a little worse for wear but mostly unharmed.

"Muggles" Harry muttered to Moody who nodded.

"Aye, I will take them in and get them healed and obliviated" he replied.

"How long will it take you to get ready and leave?" Harry asked the woman.

"Ve can be gone in one hour" she answered with a nod.

"Ok" Harry agreed. "Get your things together and go" he instructed.

The woman translated to the group who split off in several directions to collect their things.

"Vhat is your name?" the woman asked. "In case ve need to write to you if zhey come back" she explained.

"Harry Potter" the young man answered causing the woman's eyebrows to rise. "What's yours?" he added.

"My name is Mila, I have heard of you Harry Potter, even in Russia you are famous" she returned with a soft smile. "You are a hero here and now you are a hero to my people also, zhank you" she finished and placed a kiss on the boy's cheek before exiting the room to collect her own belongings.

Sirius shook his head and mumbled amusedly at his godson.

"Do you have women of all species and race pining after you?" he asked with a smirk.

Harry just shook his head at the man and laughed.

It didn't take long for the vampires to return to the entrance hall clutching bags and other various forms of luggage.

"Ve are ready to leave now" the woman informed Harry.

He nodded and gestured to the front door where they immediately began to exit, most offering him words of gratitude as they passed.

After the last one had exited Harry, Sirius, Moody and Kingsley turned to Denislav who looked about ready to have a stroke.

"Can you portkey this man to Wiltshire?" Harry asked Moody. "I believe that is fairly close to where Tom is staying".

"Aye lad" Moody intoned obligingly and created the portkey.

The group watched as the man disappeared.

"What about this one?" Kingsley asked gesturing to the other vampire.

"Take him in" Harry decided after a moment. "He might have some useful information, accurate number of enemies and so on" he explained.

Kingsley took the man and apparated away.

Harry and Sirius were about to do the same when Moody spoke out.

"I need a favour from the two of you, if you don't mind?" he asked with a grin.

Harry and Sirius shared a look and shrugged.

It was not often, if ever, that Alastor Moody asked for a favour.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort was brooding and had been since he had returned.

Things were not going well at all for the Dark Lord and he knew he had to changes things.

His people had failed at almost every turn, well, been thwarted would be a much more accurate summary.

His first rise to power had been much smoother. He had not once felt the vulnerability that he was feeling now and he knew that a war of attrition would certainly see him fail.

Things were much more different this time. He did not have the element of surprise on his side in which he and his followers could hide in the shadows and strike when the time was right. No, that certainly was not the case.

Thanks to Potter the world was very much aware of his presence and had become vigilant.

The ministry was no long full of easily manipulative fools that could be coerced into aiding him the way they had before. Amelia Bones as a minister was ruthless and her morality towards him and his men was completely non-existent.

The aurors of the first war could only stun his men, but those days were well and truly gone. His men were killed now with equal ferocity and brutality as they killed themselves and that did not sit well with them. His men were cowards evidently and Lord Voldemort could not abide cowards.

Alastor Moody being in charge of the DMLE was a real problem. The man had no morals and was clearly insane. The Dark Lord couldn't help but respect the man and his prowess with a wand; his reputation was well earned and deserve, there was only he and perhaps Bella and Antonin that could trade spells with the old auror and come out on top.

Dumbledore had always been a problem with those of the light placing themselves under his banner, but the old fool was just that; old. He himself was of no particular threat because of his aversion to killing but he was one of those very rare and powerful wizards's that had become a beacon of sorts to those who stood against the Dark Lord.

"He will have to be killed also" Voldemort mused.

One of the biggest surprises had been Sirius Black. He had grown from an immature fool into a man that was feared almost as much as his godson. He had become an exemplary wizard and the Dark Lord knew that he would also have to be killed to assure his victory and for the nation to fall into his hands completely. He was another man that those who opposed him would follow.

And then there was Harry Potter, the bane of Lord Voldemort's life. The boy had become much more than the Dark Lord had ever thought possible and anticipated. He had gotten a glimpse of the boy's potential in the graveyard and that itself had made him feel very uneasy. But the boy had gone far beyond of what Voldemort had thought was possible and he was now a true threat. He knew that none of his followers were capable of taking Potter out; it was just an absurd idea to think otherwise.

"He's no longer a boy" the Dark Lord muttered worriedly.

The young man had pushed him further than any other had in a fight and was ruthless in his attacks. He was fast, young and very powerful and commanded respect in a way Voldemort had never seen himself.

"Five people" Voldemort surmised. "Five people stand in my way. If they were to die then they would have none that could lead them" he concluded with a shake of his head.

He pondered how the death of these five could be achieved and shook his head at the difficulty of the task.

There was no doubt in his mind that all of them would be behind the most powerful wards available.

Both Bones and Moody had been attacked in the past couple of years and no doubt had their security upgraded considerably.

Black would be behind his family wards and they were extremely unpleasant to any who wished harm to those within according to both Bella and Narcissa.

Dumbledore was of course at Hogwarts, arguably the most powerfully warded place in Britain.

"It would be foolish to even think of attacking the school" Voldemort grumbled.

And he didn't have the faintest clue of where Potter even lived or what his wards were like but he knew they would be extensive and extremely dangerous to attack. The Potters after all were known fighters against the dark so they would no doubt be very well protected in their homes.

"They have to be lured out" the Dark Lord decided with a firm nod. "This war will have to be fought with one big battle" he added with a frown.

It was by no means the way in which he would choose to fight the war but every effort he had made to undermine the ministry had failed and every smaller scale attack he had tried had been dealt with quickly and efficiently by his enemies.

He knew that his followers outnumbered those of the opposition and also knew that if he were to keep losing men without gaining ground then it would soon be an even playing field, something that he would not allow to happen.

His thoughts wondered back to the amount of men he had and he smiled at a realisation.

"The cave" he whispered. "I have another 200 able bodies in there, but it will take time to transport and contain them" he added with a frown. "A few month's work at least" he decided. "But it gives me time to plan" he concluded with an agreeable nod.

His mind then wondered onto his Horcruxes and he shook his head violently. The thought of what had happened to them brought back the uncomfortable sense of nervousness he felt.

"I still have Nagini" he consoled himself.

If he and his men were to fail this time around then the wizarding world would believe that he was dead and he could simply start again from the shadows, as he preferred. It would certainly cause a stir if he were to rise from the dead for a second time.

"Then perhaps they will believe in my immortality" he said with a sinister smirk.

He was pulled from his musings by the entrance of a panic-stricken Denislav and he gave the man a distasteful sneer.

"You said myself and my people vere safe" the vampire spat angrily.

"You are" Voldemort replied casually.

"Potter" the vampire said simply causing the Dark Lord to flinch involuntarily. "You did not tell me about Potter, look vhat he has done to me" he finished fearfully.

"I see nothing wrong" Voldemort replied after a moment's observation of the man.

"He's made me mortal" Denislav cried. "Fix it" he demanded in a pleading tone.

"He did what?" the Dark Lord hissed worriedly.

"He took avay my immortality" Denislav reaffirmed beginning to tremble.

Voldemort approached the man, drew his wand and began waving it around the man, mumbling as he did so.

His eyebrows rose at the spell work he could sense on the man, it was certainly something he had never come across and that worried him.

"How did he do it?" he asked the man as calmly as possible.

"Some kind of chant, vith his vand" Denislav responded exasperatedly.

"I am not familiar with this magic" Voldemort admitted begrudgingly.

"So you can't fix it?" the Russian questioned irritably.

"No" the Dark Lord answered flatly.

He knew that he probably could fix it but it would take a lot of time to do so, time he was not willing to spend on something so trivial.

"Then myself and my people are leaving" Denislav announced angrily. "We will not place ourselves under a man who can be bested by a boy" he added heatedly.

The Dark Lord immediately became furious and banished the man across the room with a wave of his wand.

"You are going nowhere" Voldemort spat. "Well your people aren't" he added with a smirk.

"Wait" Denislav pleaded seeing that he was about to be cursed again. "The boy, he sent my people home" he revealed. "But if you help me bring them under foot then I will get them back" he tried desperately.

Voldemort roared in fury; he had yet again been thwarted by Potter.

He turned his gaze back towards the obviously scared Russian and smiled cruelly. "I have 40 of your men under this roof, they will be sufficient for the purpose I have in mind for them" he explained. "I neither have the time nor care for the rest of your people, it is your own foolishness that has placed you in the situation you are in now" he said to the man.

"My men will not follow you" Denislav retorted.

"They will" the Dark Lord responded dangerously.

Before Denislav could comprehend what was happening he saw a jet of green light fly towards him and he knew no more.

"Fool" Voldemort surmised with a shake of his head.

The Dark Lord had planning to do and he knew where he needed to start as much as it pained him to do so. He needed to bring his most loyal follower into the fold and explain everything for every eventuality.

He shook his head.

He hated relying on others but knew she was capable, and much more so than Wormtail ever had been. If he were to be killed he knew he would have a body within a matter of hours rather than months.

This time around he would make sure he had all the ingredients necessary for the ritual so it could be carried out immediately.

He sighed deeply while thinking about exactly what he was going to say to Bella. She may be insane but she was the only one he could rely on for this. He certainly did not wish to spend an inordinate number of years as a snake; no matter how much he enjoyed her company.

 _(BREAK)_

It was a few days after his conversation with Potter and Black that found Alastor Moody heading towards the training room that he had instructed his auror's to meet in.

He had managed to convince the duo to help train his men and he couldn't be happier with their agreement. He had simply explained that they were not ready and needed help, pointing out that they were going to be fighting alongside them when the time came.

He knew that they were hesitant to do so but after he had given his reasons they had agreed so long they could train them in their own way, something that the grizzled auror was happy to comply with.

He entered the room with a smirk of anticipation that immediately put the 220 aurors on guard.

They knew something that made Alastor Moody smile the way he was could not be a good thing for them.

"Ranks" Moody shouted simply and several neat rows of men and women formed within seconds of his command.

He looked at those amongst his people critically daring any of them to even breathe out of turn. These auror's were soft and had not been trained the way they should have. They were hesitant and wet behind the ears, but this was going to change.

"Now listen up you sorry excuse for auror's" Moody began after a moment of staring. "With the permission of the Minister and the use of my contacts I have arranged for some special training for us all" he explained with a sickening grin that cause his scars to pull obscenely tight across his face.

He noticed that many of the assembled people swallowed deeply and began looking nervous; he was pleased to see that even some of them were perspiring.

"Now when our guests are here you will refer to them the same as you do myself and Head auror Robards, understood?" he asked loudly.

"Yes sir" the aurors replied in unison.

"Good" Moody answered. "Because if you don't they have permission to kick you arses from here to wherever they feel like" he informed them.

He began pacing in front of them making the group feel uncomfortable.

"The fact is most of you aren't worth piss" he suddenly broke in seriously. "You're green and you've had it far too easy" he continued. "Gawain" he called loudly getting the attention of his head auror.

"Yes sir" the man immediately responded, standing stiffly at attention.

"How would your day start in the academy?" Moody asked the man.

"We would arrive at 5am and spend 90 minutes physically exercising, sir" Robards answered.

Most of the auror's grimaced at the thought of such a thing.

"Tonks" Moody shouted. "Tell me how your day starts" he commanded.

Tonks stood to attention before speaking.

"We arrive at 8am and have a briefing, sir" she explained crisply.

"Pathetic" Moody said clearly disgusted. "Those days are over you lazy shits" he announced. "We are going back old school" he added with another smirk.

Again he could see most of his people swallowing deeply and looking apprehensive.

"You will report here every day at 5am" he instructed. "You will get your arses in peak physical condition or you will be out the door, no exceptions, understood?" he roared.

"Yes sir" the auror's replied hesitantly.

"Now these men will teach you everything you will need to know to not only survive, but kick the living shit out of any death eater you come across" he explained confidently. "They will teach you teamwork, they will teach you discipline and they will teach you to not be a bunch of useless, lay about bastards" he continued while pacing impatiently. "If you fuck with them then it is your arse that will be getting kicked, understood?" he asked again.

"Yes sir" the reply he received.

Moody just nodded. He was looking forward to see what Potter and Black had in store for the auror's. If they were anything like their grandfather's then it would be a hell of a show, he knew.

Tonks watched in horror as the door opened and admitted Harry and Sirius both looking very grave, even her cousin who was usually jovial, eyes alight with mischief, was looking as severe as she had ever seen him.

"Oh shit" she mumbled knowingly.

She had heard how Harry and Sirius trained together and knew this was not going to be good for her and her colleagues.

She watched as they placed several bags on the ground and removed their hooded jumpers to reveal their form fitting black t-shirts they wore; it was clear that they were both in incredible physical condition.

"You have to be joking" one of the men in the ranks shouted at Moody in disbelief. "You are going to let us be trained by a boy and a murderer?" he asked.

Before Moody could even speak Sirius walked forward and glared at the man.

"You step forward" he demanded in a low and dangerous voice.

The man gulped and complied reluctantly.

"What is your name?" Sirius questioned the man.

"Mitchell" he answered simply causing Sirius to raise an eyebrow at him. "Sir" the man added reluctantly.

"Well Mitchell you just earned yourself fifty press-ups, now get to it" he commanded. "And for every one you miss I will curse you" he added promisingly.

Mitchell looked wide-eyed at the man clearly thinking he was joking. When he saw that the man was serious he obliged by dropping to his front to begin his punishment.

"Now listen up" Sirius called getting the attention of the men and women. "Myself and Harry did not want to be here but Moody pointed out that when a big fight happens we will be fighting with you" he continued with a distasteful look towards them all. "I will not be killed because you are poorly trained and don't know your wands from your arses" he added with a shake of his head.

He took a moment to look at the assembled before shaking his head again.

"Let's get one thing straight" he began again. "There is only one man I trust on this planet" he said placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I personally couldn't give a shit if you are all killed, I don't know you and I don't want to" he added with a shrug. "We are here as a favour to Moody, but if you are going to fight with us then you had better be ready, any questions?" he finished.

No one spoke and Sirius fired a stinging hex at Mitchell seeing that he was beginning to slack, eliciting a yelp from the man.

"While you have been sat at your desks scratching your arses and stuffing your faces myself and Harry have been killing Death Eaters, werewolves, Giants and even vampires" he reeled off. "But I will say this once and once only, you will pull your weight or you will be out of here so quickly you'll feel like you were force apparated by Merlin himself, are we clear?" he asked.

"Yes sir" the auror's replied.

"I don't care if you knew me from years ago and I don't care if you are a friend" he added looking at Moody "or family" he said with a look at Tonks, "We will not tolerate laziness or mediocrity" he concluded gesturing between himself and his godson who was stood casually looking completely impassive.

Moody looked on with a sinister grin.

'Just like the old days' he thought to himself delightedly.

"Now we will forgo the physical training today" Sirius announced. "But you will be here at 5am sharp tomorrow" he added firmly after hearing a sigh of relief from many. "Now pair up, we want to see what you are all made of" he commanded.

The auror's complied and paired off. Harry and Sirius watched as they duelled with each other and were surprised by how poor they truly were.

"Enough" Harry commanded loudly with his wand placed at his throat.

The auror's stopped firing spells and looked at the young man curiously.

"You" he called pointing to a man. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Conrad sir" the man replied immediately standing to attention.

"Curse me" Harry commanded casually.

"Sir?" Conrad questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Curse me" Harry commanded again more firmly.

The man nodded and fired a silent stunner at the young man somewhat reluctantly that was simply batted aside.

"Good use of silent spells" Harry praised. "But what the hell was that?" he added angrily.

"A stunner sir" Conrad confirmed with a frown.

In the blink of an eye Harry stunned four of the auror's and looked at the man calculatingly.

"What would you do if you came across your comrades like this?" he asked.

The auror stepped forward and enervated his colleagues.

"And that is exactly what the Death Eaters will do" Harry explained. "What if I hit them with an entrail expelling curse?" he questioned while twirling his wand.

"They'd be dead" Conrad replied, blanching considerably.

"Exactly" Harry said casually. "They can't be enervated when they are dead" he pointed out. "Now curse me properly" he commanded.

The man looked towards Moody but did nothing.

Harry shook his head and dragged his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Moody, curse me" he requested.

The grizzled auror immediately fired a bone-breaker at the younger man followed by a blood-boiling curse which Harry absorbed into a shield not wanting to bat them away in case the spells were to hit one of the people in the room.

"They are the kind of spells you should be using" Harry said loudly to the assembled people. "The Death Eaters don't use stunners and you won't either, you fire to kill" he finished firmly.

The auror's had paled at the implications and the casual demeanour in which the teen dealt with the potentially fatal curses.

Harry could see that he wasn't getting through to them so he tried a different tact.

"Tell me Conrad" he demanded. "Do you have a wife?".

"Yes sir" the man answered with a frown.

"Children?" Harry followed up.

"A son and a daughter sir" the man answered a little hoarsely.

"So you are happy for them to become a widow and fatherless?" Harry asked.

"No sir" Conrad replied vehemently.

"Well what if I told you I was going to kill you?" Harry questioned coldly. "What would they do without you providing for them?" he added.

The man paled considerably and began to visibly shake.

"I would do whatever I had to do to make sure that didn't happen" he answered angrily.

"Well Conrad that's exactly what the Death Eaters want to do to your family, that is even if they let them live, which is doubtful" Harry explained. "Now imagine I am one of those bastards trying to take the food from your families mouth, take you away from them and leave them with no money or home to live in" he demanded. "I am going to kill you Conrad and leave your loved ones with nothing, what are you going to do?" Harry asked coldly.

The auror had turned red with rage and looked at the young man through narrowed eyes. He let out a guttural roar of anger and began firing the most lethal and dangerous curses he knew until he was exhausted and fell to his knees sobbing.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Harry looking at him with something akin to respect.

"That's exactly what I wanted from you" Harry said gently. "Use it" he commanded. "Whenever you are fighting, fight for them" he urged giving the man a squeeze on the shoulder.

"And that goes for all of you" he shouted, addressing the room again. "Think of those you love and what will happen to them if you are not there to protect them and provide for them, fight for them with everything you have and you will be fine" he assured them. "We can teach you a lot and get you in the best condition of your life" he promised pointing to himself and Sirius. "Now enough of the sentimental shit get your arses over there and fight" he demanded firmly. "And if I see one stunner I will personally curse you so badly you won't remember your own name" he warned.

"Yes sir" the auror's shouted obediently and began again with a new sense of purpose after having a fire lit underneath them.

"Well said Potter" Moody growled clapping him on the shoulder. "Just like the old days" he added happily.

Harry turned to see that he had been joined by Sirius and Robards along with Moody and grinned.

"Well Moody, since you like the old days so much you and Head Auror Robards can get your wrinkled old arses in there and show them how it's done" Harry commanded.

Moody only hesitated for a moment before sharing a grin with Robards who nodded.

"Aye sir" the heavily scarred man answered with a stiff salute before heading off with his head of department.

"Move your arse quicker Moody" Sirius shouted. "You've spent too long being an idle bastard too" he added with a smirk towards his godson who chuckled.

"Aye sir" was the loud and firm reply they got from the grizzled man.

The pair shared another chuckle before joining the men they were now training.

They had quite the task ahead of them but they knew they had already made progress; they had gotten the auror's in the right frame of mind, now it was just a little bit of knowledge and lots of practice they needed then they would be an efficient and dangerous force, just what the wizarding world needed.

 _(BREAK)_

Augustus Rookwood was sat in his private box in the Falmouth Falcons stadium under the guise of an elderly muggle man he had murdered in the first war while he served the Dark Lord. The disguise was perfect and none could possibly suspect he was in fact the former unspeakable and wanted man.

He hadn't left his home in months as the Dark Lord had informed him that he would be away for some time so his services would not be needed for the foreseeable future, something that Augustus was content with.

He was not a fighter nor overtly powerful by his own admission but he was highly intelligent to a degree of absurdity, something that he coveted above brutality and force. Why fight a man when you can simply kill him while he slept?

Augustus was a practical man by all accounts and was happy to spend most of his time alone; he was after all very independent and could not abide the typical psychotic followers of the man he served so instead opted to spend as little time away from them as possible.

The one weakness he had was his love of Quidditch and the Falcons in particular. Wizarding technology did not stretch as far as being able to watch the matches from his home so for him to enjoy the sport to its full degree he was forced to attend them. Standing in the crowd amongst the boorish and loutish behaviour of regular attendees would not do for the man. He was not here on a social venture so he had secured a box for himself at great expense and would spend his time during the game here to avoid the typical fan and those not worthy of his company.

"Would you like some refreshments sir?" a voice sounded from the door.

Augustus turned to see two venders with a cart demonstrating their wares.

"Firewhiskey, leave the bottle" he instructed placing a handful of galleons on the cart and turning away from the men.

"Very good Mr Rookwood" one of the men said.

Augustus balked at the use of his name. How did they know who he was?

Thinking that it could only be an inner circle member of the Death Eaters, after all they were the only ones that knew of this place, he turned to feel something heavy impact the side of his head and heard glass shatter as he fell from his seat and crashed to the ground, his head spinning wildly as the smell of the whiskey filled his nose.

He blindly reached for his wand to find that it was missing. He looked up and saw two redheaded men looking at him with malicious intent etched on their faces.

"You killed my mother and sister" the taller of the men said casually. "You really should not have done that" he added darkly before kicking the man several times in the ribs.

Augustus felt several of them break and the air leave his lungs forcefully under the heavy blows he had received. He coughed violently and tasted blood in his mouth, feeling it expel from him with each wrack.

He was about to plead or attempt to bargain when he felt a spell hit him and his entire body tighten painfully, both inside and out, taking his ability to move or even talk.

"You are going to experience several hours of pain while each of your organs are slowly devoured by this curse" the taller explained with a sadistic grin. "By the time you die you will have felt pain like nothing you could have expected but I won't ruin the surprise for you" the man finished before placing a portkey on him.

August felt the very painful and disorientating pull of the portkey as it activated. When the world stopped spinning he found that he was somewhere very hot and dry. Without even being able to move he knew he was laying on sand.

The next few hours were horrific for the man before he succumbed to curse that had been placed on him. He was in excruciating pain and very thirsty. He could feel the moment that each of his organs simply failed him and eventually he just stopped breathing as he could feel his own brain starting to devour itself within his own skull.

 _(BREAK)_

Bellatrix Black left the company of the Dark Lord feeling a mixture of self-pity and disappointment. The meeting with the man had revealed much about the man she had foolishly followed for many years.

The thing that struck her most was the fear the man was feeling; he was truly terrified of Harry Potter. Bellatrix had known that he was wary of the younger man but to see the fear for what it really was had been quite the surprise to the woman and the last vestige of respect she had for her master had vanished in that moment.

'He is weak' she thought to herself with a shake of her head. 'Magically he is powerful but he has already lost the battle'.

She knew that he had to be feeling particularly vulnerable for him to give her the instructions that he had. She didn't understand everything she had been told entirely but she understood enough that the snake had to die for him to truly be finished, something she would have to tell Potter about.

She didn't know if Potter was aware of the soul anchor that her master had created but it was something he would need to be told about if he were to be successful and she would get her wish of a comfortable cell away from the Dementors.

She also figured that the Dark Lord was acting in desperation to place the fate of his uprising on one battle. That was not the man's usual approach but she was aware of how little success the Death Eaters had had in the small attacks and skirmishes they had attempted.

She entered her room, locked the door and removed the book she always had concealed upon herself. She tapped the quill against her chin thoughtfully.

"Let's just hope Potter is as good as his word" she muttered to herself before beginning to scratch away.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry was stood watching Robards and Sirius duel and had to admit that the auror was very skilled with his wand. As promised they had started the physical training with the group at 5am and found that the majority of them were in poor condition, but Harry could not fault the heart they had shown.

They had grumbled and protested a lot but powered through the workout nonetheless, with the help of a few stinging hexes for motivation.

There had been blood sweat and tears in abundance, but the exercise was only the beginning. They still had to practice their fighting skills where Harry and Sirius taught them a few, more frowned upon, spells to add to the arsenal.

They had set them off in groups of four to learn how to fight as a team would; shielding and firing spells alternatively and fighting in tandem the way Harry and Sirius did.

As an example of what could be achieved the duo paired up and fought against two teams of auror's and simply dismantled them within a couple of minutes, subduing and binding them with ease.

It served as a lesson for the men and women when they realised how easily the 8 men had been bested by two and any hesitation to be trained by the teen and former Azkaban inmate was put to rest after this.

"The order our meeting tonight" Alastor Moody growled in Harry's ear. "You should be there, Kingsley has finished with the Vampire" he suggested.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"What's Robards like?" he asked the man while resuming his watch over the auror and his godfather as they traded spells.

"Gawain should have been head of the auror's a long time ago" Moody began. "I trained him myself and as you can see he is very talented" he said proudly. "He's an old school man and that didn't sit well with Fudge, he didn't want a man in charge who took a firm stance against criminals like Gawain does" he continued. "You don't have to worry about him lad, he's a good man and will lead these sacks as best he can, you mark my words" he finished with an assuring tone.

"He's definitely the right man to do it" Harry agreed. "Now how about you and I have a rematch from my OWL exam?" he asked with a smirk.

"Aye lad" Moody replied with a dark grin. "It's been too long since I've had a good fight".

 _(BREAK)_

Bellatrix finished penning her note to Potter and released a deep breath; She was as good as her word and had told him all he would need to know to finish the Dark Lord.

So far he had not steered her wrong in any way and had kept every promise he had made and she knew he would come through for her when all was said and done.

He had annulled her marriage as she had asked. She felt the magic binding her to Rudolphus break after only a couple of days since her least meeting with the young man meaning that she was finally free of the fool completely.

Even though he had been killed she still felt the stain of the vows of fealty she had been forced to give the man tarnishing her very being, making her feel nauseous at the mere thought of it.

She was once again Bellatrix Black by both name and blood and she could not be happier.

It was clear to the woman that Potter was taking his headship of the family seriously and abiding by the morals her grandfather had held.

'Family first' she thought to herself happily. 'It a shame that father did not share the same sentiment' she added bitterly.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the entrance of her sister who she noted was looking more depressed and gaunt than ever.

"Bella" Narcissa greeted her quietly and simply sat.

"What's wrong Cissy?" Bellatrix asked with a frown.

Narcissa sighed.

"I don't think I can do it anymore" She whispered her eyes filling with tears.

"Do what?" Bellatrix questioned feeling angry that her sister was so upset.

She was not angry at her sister; she had always been the sensitive one after all. But years of living with Lucius had toughened the blonde considerably and it took a significant amount to upset her the way that she clearly was now.

"I can't stay here anymore" Narcissa sobbed.

Bellatrix pulled the distraught woman into a hug. Despite her disposition towards affection she truly loved her sister and cared for her more than anyone else.

"Then leave" she answered simply. "Lucius will be killed and then you will have nothing, leave while you can" she implored the younger woman.

"And put my life in Potter's hands?" Narcissa asked sceptically through her tears.

Bellatrix nodded.

"He will see you right Cissy" she said firmly.

"How can you be sure?" Narcissa asked.

"Because he has kept every promise he has made me so far, he even annulled my marriage" she explained with a genuine smile.

"He did?" Narcissa questioned disbelievingly. "So you're a Black again?"

"Yes" the older woman answered seriously. "He could have handed me to Bones the night we attacked her house but he didn't" she added convincingly. "Like it or not he is the head of the family and he is your only hope of getting out of here and not going to prison" she finished.

"But what about you?" the blonde inquired worriedly.

"Potter is going to win, I have no doubt of that" Bellatrix replied. "I have one last thing to do here and then I will hand myself over to him" she explained with a shrug. "He has promised he will get me a low security cell and you can even come and visit me" she concluded hopefully.

"And you're fine with going to prison?" her sister asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's either that or I die in battle or end up back in Azkaban how it was before" Bellatrix shrugged. "I've made my mistakes Cissy but it's not too late for you, he will make sure you are ok" she reassured her sister.

Narcissa just nodded a little dejectedly.

"I'll help you get some things together" Bellatrix offered with a smile.

"What about Lucius?" Narcissa asked fearfully.

"He probably won't even notice you're gone" Bellatrix responded. "And even if he does, what can he do about it? It's not like the coward is going to ask Potter for you back is he?" she finished with a cackle.

Narcissa just shook her head and led her sister from the room so she could gather a few things.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Sirius were sat at the table at Grimmauld Place with most of the order present. They were awaiting the arrival of Moody, Tonks and Shacklebolt so the meeting could begin.

"Harry" Dumbledore whispered getting the younger man's attention. "I believe I have figured out the final one" he informed him gravely.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"We can speak after" he assured the man who smiled gently.

The door opened to admit the three auror's who were all limping and grimacing in obvious pain and discomfort.

"Alastor, are you ok?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.

"Aye" Moody replied with a grin towards Harry. "Never better Albus" he assured his friend.

"What happened?" Dumbledore asked the trio.

"I'll tell you what happened" Tonks cut in heatedly. "Those two are sadists" she whined pointing towards a grinning Harry and Sirius.

"Suck it up Tonks" Moody growled. "Potter and Black have kindly agreed to train my auror's" Moody explained to the room.

"Torture more like" Kingsley grumbled.

"Excellent" Dumbledore intoned, clapping his hand together gleefully. "We need them as ready as possible" he added with a firm nod.

"I'm sure my whole body is one big welt" Tonks complained. "Do you have to fire stinging hexes at us?" she asked irritably.

"It's fun" Sirius shrugged. "It keeps you motivated and on your toes" he continued smiling.

"What is your problem with Mitchell?" Kingsley asked Sirius with a frown. "You made the man vomit twice making him use that hammer thing".

"He's a damn good auror" Sirius answered sincerely. "But he's too arrogant and thinks he's above everyone else, he needs to be taken down and built back up" he shrugged again.

"And you two" Kingsley continued pointing at Harry and Moody. "Could have killed us all with the spells you were using" he said angrily.

"Aye" Moody agreed with a sinister grin. "Got you moving your arses though didn't it" he finished casually.

Kingsley just looked open mouthed at the man before shaking his head in disbelief.

"Can we start?" Elphias Doge asked impatiently.

"Lets" Dumbledore agreed. "Any news?" he asked.

"Rookwood is dead" Bill Weasley announced. "Charlie and I got him" he explained.

Arthur looked at his sons in disbelief that turned quickly to pride as his eyes began to water.

"You got them?" he asked weakly.

Bill nodded while smiling at his father.

"Charlie, Fred, George and myself got Rowle and Charlie and I got Rookwood" he replied. "Oh and Harry got Nott obviously".

Arthur stood and pulled his sons into a hug and cried silently between the four of them.

"I am so proud of you all" the oldest redhead praised with a watery smile.

"Anything else?" Dumbledore asked the group.

"I finished my interrogation of the vampire" Kingsley began, still wincing in discomfort. "He confirmed what we thought about numbers though his information can't be trusted completely" he finished firmly.

"Did he give anything else useful?" Harry asked.

"No, just that there are around 40 of his kind residing with the Dark Lord and a similar number of werewolves" the dark skinned man explained.

Dumbledore was about to speak again but was cut off by a soft crack as Elgar entered the room clutching Harry's book that was pulsing its gold colour to indicate he had received a message.

"Master Harry's book has been flashing for a long time now" the elf informed the teen as he handed Harry the book in question.

Harry frowned as he had not expected a message from Bellatrix but read what she had written.

 _Potter,_

 _The Dark Lord has tasked me to guard his snake during the final battle, he says that it is paramount to his survival and has left me instructions for a ritual if he were to die._

"The snake" Harry whispered in realisation.

"My thoughts exactly" Dumbledore said darkly.

Harry looked to the man and gave him a grateful nod. If Dumbledore thought the same then the information was reliable.

 _I will of course kill the snake in the hope that you are a man of your word and secure what we spoke about. I will then hand myself to you so that you can personally take me to the auror's, I will not hand myself in to the ministry._

 _The Dark Lord is gathering his forces for one final push where he hopes to kill you, Dumbledore, cousin Sirius and Moody in one fight as he knows that he cannot get to any of you separately. He also plans on killing Bones but I am not sure how he will achieve it._

 _He is aiming for the battle to take place on April 1_ _st_ _in Hogsmeade. He knows that both you and Dumbledore will come if the village is attacked and Sirius and Moody will follow._

 _He is not foolish enough to attack Hogwarts because of the wards but needs to be close enough to the school to lure Dumbledore out._

 _If anything changes I will of course inform you._

 _Kisses._

Harry noticed that another note had been added underneath the one he had just finished and sighed at the content.

 _Narcissa will be joining you shortly, please take care of her._

"Sirius could you let your cousin in?" he asked his godfather as he felt the pulse from his ring indicating that the woman was trying to portkey to him.

Sirius frowned slightly but nodded and headed towards the door.

"His cousin?" Doge asked confusedly.

"Narcissa" Harry answered.

"You can't let her in here" Doge stated furiously.

"I think you will find Mr Doge that this house is owned by me" Harry reminded the man with a growl. "And Narcissa is a member of the Black family, she has more right to be here than you" he added. "It is my duty to protect those in my family and it is something I take very seriously" he finished, his eyes glowing dangerously.

"Are you sure that is wise Harry?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.

"She needs help and will take an oath, she won't be in the meeting or made aware of what is discussed here" he explained promisingly.

Dumbledore nodded agreeably at the explanation he had been given.

Sirius returned with a very nervous looking Narcissa who immediately headed to Harry and kneeled in front of him.

"Lord Black, I have come to seek refuge in your house as promised by yourself if the need were ever to arise" she prostrated quietly but formally.

"It's ok Mrs Malfoy" Harry assured her. "I already have a warded and secluded home ready for you and I will take you there when we are done, but for now why don't you get some tea, I'm sure Marlene will take care of you" he finished with a look towards the werewolf who nodded.

"Thank you" Narcissa said gratefully as she was escorted from the room.

She had expected that Potter would force her to live with him so he could keep an eye on her constantly. She was happy she would at least get her own house to live in.

"April 1st" Harry announced darkly. "He's going for a final push on April 1st at Hogsmeade" he explained.

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked seriously.

"My source hasn't been wrong yet" Harry responded waving the book in the headmasters direction. "The snake will also be dealt with" he informed the man as talking ensued around the room.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Are you sure it is wise to trust Ms Lestrange?" he questioned the teen.

Harry didn't even flinch; he knew that Dumbledore would figure it out sooner or later.

"We've made a deal and her information has been good, to be honest professor most of this wouldn't have been possible without her" he replied sincerely.

Dumbledore nodded.

"What is it she is asking in return?" he asked.

"A divorce and help from me to secure her a low security imprisonment when the war is over, if she survives of course" Harry answered truthfully.

"She believes that Tom will lose then" Dumbledore thought out loud.

"She does" Harry agreed.

"Then let us pray that she is as good as her word has been so far" Dumbledore intoned.

The group were continuing to argue and debate amongst themselves when Dumbledore clapped his hands to catch the attention of the room.

"We have a little under 3 months to prepare" he explained. "Let's not waste any of the time we have" he implored.

The meeting progressed and many ideas were discussed amongst the men and women. Little was achieved but Harry and Sirius agreed to continue with training the auror's; they knew they would be needed in the coming fight.

After the meeting had concluded Harry took Narcissa to one of the Black homes in southern Europe where he knew she would be safe. The house was more than a reasonable size and she even had an elf to serve her. He had taken on oath that she would in no way contact any of Tom's followers or associates until he gave her permission to do so. He knew that the only person she would contact would be Bellatrix, but he could not risk allowing that for the time being.

He laid in bed that night after speaking to Daphne feeling a sense of excitement at the thought of the war being over. He hadn't mentioned anything to the girl as yet knowing that she would just worry for the next few months, but he promised himself that he would speak to her before he went into battle. He didn't want to upset her but he knew he had to keep it to himself for now.

"April 1st" he muttered to himself. "It will be over on April 1st" he said more firmly and smiled.

One way or the other it would be finished and Harry Potter would finally be free of the burden that had plagued him all his life.

 **A/N**

 **The end is drawing ever closer now my friends. It will be one or two more chapters plus the epilogue (Which is already written). I have also begun work on my next fic; Planning, story boarding etch. I will definitely be going through this fic in its entirety before posting the epilogue and editing it but I won't be changing anything major, just addressing the format and the mistakes that have been pointed out to me etch.**

 **Anyway, favourite, follow and review etch.**

 **TBR**


	19. The Drums of War

Chapter 19: The Drums of War

The Dark Lord looked upon his subordinates with a cold and contemplative stare as he paced in front of them.

He was as ready as he ever would be for the impending confrontation. His planning had been meticulous and his methods calculated to the finest degree to ensure that the battlefield would be in his favour.

Much time had been spent retrieving his inferi from the coastal cave and had fortunately only cost him the lives of 6 of his men. Considering he had secured another 200 bodies to fight for him, he saw the loss to be of no consequence.

He had stored the monstrosities within the caves hidden in the mountain range just north of the village, where he could access them easily to join the fight immediately and when he needed them.

He had attempted to secure a dragon or two or perhaps even a group of nundu's, but locating such a force had not been possible in the small window of time he had given himself; the inferi would simply have to suffice. Besides, he had managed to gather a few more allies of use, known only to himself of course that would have a significant impact on the battle when called forward.

"Just shy of 600 men" he mumbled to himself. "I will definitely have the numbers," he concluded with a smirk.

Stopping his pacing and standing front and centre of his gathered force, he allowed a wider grin to make its way onto his lips before he addressed them.

"My most loyal followers" he began loudly to ensure he had their undivided attention. "In 3 days time we take back what is rightfully ours" he announced, holding out his arms wide with his proclamation.

A loud and victorious cheer erupted from his followers so the Dark Lord waited for them to fall silent before he continued.

"For too long our world has been plagued by mudblood's, muggle-lovers and those unworthy to carry magic, but that will be no more" he added promisingly. "It is time for us to take our place back to where we belong and that is above all other beings and creatures that will live under the mighty foot of us that are worthy" he continued passionately. "We will seize control of our world and then we will pull the muggles to heel, where they should always have been." He explained while beginning to pace impatiently once more. "No longer will we hide in the shadows like scared rats but we will become the shadows that those who have basked in the light of freedom will flee from" he concluded firmly.

He looked upon his now very eager followers one last time.

"I urge you all to rest while you can because in three days time we fight for everything we hold in our hearts and we fight with everything we have," he shouted triumphantly.

His followers again began to cheer wildly for their exulted leader and took his advice after a few moments of applause.

They all left leaving the Dark Lord with his ever-dwindling inner circle of his longest and most loyal followers.

Voldemort looked upon them and couldn't help but grimace at the last vestiges of his most trusted men. Potter had eliminated most, or so the Dark Lord could only assume, and some had just simply vanished without a trace, most likely due to the boy in some fashion.

"You all have your assignments", he stated simply. "Do not fail me", he instructed firmly as he left the group to go to his private chambers.

The inner circle members waited until their master had left the room before they begun speaking amongst themselves.

"So Bella" Lucius broke the silence heatedly. "Have you heard from my errant wife yet?" he asked with a glare.

Bellatrix simply looked at the man impassively for a moment before she answered.

"If I had heard from my sister then that is my business Lucy" she replied casually. "It is hardly surprising that she did leave you, you are nothing more than a bootlicking spineless shit-for-brains after all" she added coldly. "Definitely not worthy of marrying a Black in the first place" she concluded with her nose wrinkled in disgust at the man.

"You dare" the blonde hissed angrily as he withdrew his wand only to find one aimed between his eyes before he could even point it in the direction of the now grinning woman.

"Bring your wand any higher and I will kill you where you stand" she happily threatened the blonde with a challenging tone.

The two just stared at each other for a minute until Dolohov stepped behind Malfoy and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Lucius" he said warningly. "Go and calm down, we will find your wife when this is over" he explained.

Malfoy growled before he lowered his wand and stormed from the room, slamming the door as he left.

"Why do you have to push him?" Dolohov questioned the woman with a sigh.

"He is a moron" Bellatrix shrugged.

Dolohov just shook his head and sighed again.

"And why is it that you will not be joining us in battle?" he asked with a frown. "Surely as the most capable fighter the Dark Lord will need you there" he finished confusedly.

"The Dark Lord has a more important job for me Antonin" Bellatrix answered simply. "As his most trusted follower it falls to me to carry out such important tasks, as much as I would like to kill some of the unworthy in our world" she added convincingly.

Dolohov just shrugged. It was not his place to question his master's motives and reasons behind his instructions.

Bellatrix left the rest of the inner circle in favour of heading to her own quarters for some much needed privacy.

"3 more days" she mumbled. "3 more days and I can have a cozy cell away from all of this," she said, relief evident in her voice as she entered her chamber and closed the door behind her.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Hedwig fly off into the distance carrying his now completed work for his mastery in both dueling and defense against the dark arts. He had been determined to finish it before the battle; if he fell he wanted to leave some form of legacy behind. It would not do for the last Potter to die as only a sixteen year old who had not lived up to the family titles he carried in some way.

The last few months had changed Harry in a way that the young man couldn't describe.

He had thought of little else than the impending battle and had prepared for every possible eventuality to the best of his ability.

When he wasn't completing his work he was adding new spells to his already impressive arsenal and helping his godfather train the auror's on a daily basis. This in itself had major benefits to his development. Day in and day out he would train with different witches and wizards in an effort to perfect every aspect of his fighting prowess.

Those who watched were simply in awe of the teen.

He was already a very talented fighter but he had improved beyond what anyone would deem possible. Those who trained with him saw him complete feats that left them with mouth agape, staring at the young man in awe. They all knew that Voldemort was in for the fight of his life when the two finally met.

He would of course speak to Daphne daily and visit her when Hogsmeade visits were allowed for the students. She had become a much-needed escape from the pressure that had mounted on him. He found that no matter how stressed he was or how difficult a day had been, just speaking to the blonde would immediately relax him.

She had become something of a saviour for the teen and he appreciated the calming effect more than he could even comprehend. The fact was that he knew he would be lost without her. She gave him a sense of normality that he sorely needed during these trying times, though what he felt for the girl was far more than what he would consider normal.

Things had really changed when the couple had spent the day together on Valentine's Day.

Knowing that this could be the one and only chance he would get to spend the day with the girl he had made a real effort, with a little help from Sirius of course.

Never having had a real relationship before he had no idea where to even begin with making the day special, thus an awkward conversation with Sirius had ensued.

The man himself was delighted that he had some pearls of wisdom to offer his godson, who so far, had needed him for very little in regards to anything other than training.

The marauder had recommended that the younger man keeps it simple by sending flowers and chocolates in the morning and getting her a nice piece of jewelry as a gift.

" And for Merlin sake do not forget a card, that is the thing that she will keep" the man had instructed vehemently.

The day had been a complete success and the girl had appreciated the effort he had gone to very much.

The truth is Harry just wanted her to see how much he appreciated her.

After he had returned home he kicked himself mentally as he came to a realization; he shouldn't need a specific day a year to show how much he appreciated her.

He vowed that he would show her how much she truly meant to him without needing the excuse of an allocated day. Something he would be proud to say that he had achieved.

He wouldn't send her expensive gifts but he would make sure that he wrote to her as well as having their evening conversations over the mirror.

He also sent her small gifts, usually things that were sentimental and would remind the girl of things they had done together and memories they shared; the things that meant the most to him.

He hadn't yet been able to bring himself to tell her about the battle.

He knew that she would just worry and would have spent the last few months panicking and being stressed; something he didn't want to place on her. He did feel guilty for keeping something as important from her but he planned on changing that today. Today was a scheduled Hogsmeade trip and he knew he had to tell her today.

But first he had his daily duties to attend to.

The auror's had been given the next few days off to be rested and ready, though they had not been informed of the battle on Moody's advice.

He thought that most would panic and it would have a detrimental affect on their training causing them to perform poorly when they needed to be at their peak, something that Harry did not entirely agree with but he did not question the grizzled man. They were his auror's and he knew more about them than Harry did and the teen was very much aware of that.

He could only hope that they would take the fight in their stride and use what they had been taught by the combined efforts of Himself, Sirius, Moody and Robards.

The daily duty he had to attend to was that of the Griffins and Thestrals that he fed and spent time with each morning before training and studying.

After he had returned the young female to the group of griffins they had become much more welcoming to him and had even bonded with him beyond what he had expected and he had found them to be much more intelligent than he had initially believed possible.

Through a difficult and arduous task of naming letters of the alphabet he had even managed to learn their names much to his delight.

Tristan, the lead golden griffin was the most hesitant to befriend him at first but after Harry had spent time with them, brought them food and made an effort to ensure they were all happy, the usually ferocious beast had warmed to him considerably and would, along with the newest edition to the group, be the first to greet him each morning with some affectionate pinching.

The Thestrals were always as welcoming as ever, particularly Druella who insisted that Harry would ride her regularly.

The creatures did however keep themselves separate. They weren't hostile towards each other but they were clearly wary; the Thestrals because of the size difference and the Griffins because of the much larger number of the other herd.

Harry was pleased however that they seemed content to share him between the two groups.

After a conversation with the portrait of his grandparents he had learnt that Charlus had a similar relationship with the Griffins and the man was very pleased that his grandson was able to establish a similar bond with them.

Dorea seemed to be even more so that the Thestrals had accepted him. She had explained that they were not very welcoming under most circumstances and that he should feel privileged to be able to spend time with them how he had been.

They had spoken about how both herds would chase his father away when he was younger, they did not take to him well and both of his grandparents had had to intervene on several occasions to ensure that the beasts had not harmed their son.

Harry closed the window and showered before he apparated to Potter Manor as he still spent most of his nights in the Black house.

He arrived at his ancestral home and immediately went to the large shed where the meat for the animals was stored before making his way firstly to the Thestrals. As usual he could see the Griffins on the other side of the pasture waiting patiently for him to come to them with their breakfast.

"Hello girl" he greeted Druella with a smile as she forced her way to the front of the herd and began nuzzling him lovingly.

The rest of the Thestrals always allowed her to be the first to approach the young man, she became quite agitated with them if they tried to intrude on her time with Harry.

She had gotten into the habit of resting her head on his shoulder and he would wrap his arms around her neck and pull her into a hug which the creature clearly loved as she would growl contentedly.

"Should we get you all fed?" he asked with a chuckle causing the animal to growl again and move away reluctantly.

He happily handed them the meat and blood that they would feed on before he sat down amongst them and simply watched as they devoured the food.

"You know I will miss this" he whispered sadly. "If things go wrong on Tuesday then this will be one of the things I miss the most" he added while he absentmindedly stroked the female that he had grown very fond of.

Druella growled comfortingly and butted him gently with her head and snorted at him as he looked into her blood-red eyes.

"Don't be like that" he said with a gentle laugh. "You know it's something I have to do" he explained for the hundredth time.

The Thestral growled again and licked him affectionately before turning away and heading back into the thicker trees.

"No ride today then?" Harry called after her with a raised eyebrow.

She turned to look at him briefly before hanging her head and walking away.

Harry sighed and dragged his hand through his hair; he just hoped that she wouldn't stay mad at him for the next few days.

He shook his head and left the wooded area to greet the other creatures.

When the griffins became aware that he was approaching Tristan and Lhysa, as Harry had been honoured to name, charged towards him in their usual fashion.

"Hey guys" he said with a gentle smile as he began petting them and receiving his nibbling. "I brought you lots of chicken today" he explained while gesturing to the large bucket of carcasses he held.

The griffins all screeched happily causing the young man to laugh as he began handing out the food in the order that they had insisted they were served.

"And this last one is for you" he spoke to the lead griffin who always insisted that the rest of them were fed before him.

Harry had grown to respect Tristan very much. Beyond his fierce exterior he was a very caring creature and very protective of those he cared about.

It was easy to see why he was the leader of the group. It wasn't just because he was the biggest or strongest; but he was gentle, he was their protector and he was as noble as any man or creature that Harry had ever met.

When they had finished feeding Harry began petting him and as usual found himself lost in the bright yellow eyes of the creature. He felt as though the beast was reading his very thoughts and feelings when he looked at him this way.

It didn't feel at all invasive, it was in fact a comfortable feeling and he would feel his worries and stresses begin to melt away as the griffin stared at him with his penetrating eyes.

Harry couldn't be sure if it was just the affect they had on him or it was one of the gifts that they possessed but he found that he appreciated it very much.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the beast narrowed its eyes and screeched questioningly at him.

Harry just shook his head.

"You are a lot more intelligent than people think aren't you?" he asked.

The griffin just nodded firmly causing Harry chuckle.

"You want to know what's bothering me?" he questioned his feathered friend further who just nodded and continued to stare at the teen.

Harry sighed and dragged his hand through his hair again before he spoke.

"I might not be coming back soon" he said sadly.

All of the griffins looked at him and began screeching indignantly and pawing the ground irritably.

"It's not that I don't want to" he explained hurriedly, attempting to placate the clearly irate animals.

He sighed again when he saw they were waiting for him to speak again.

"Remember when I told you about the man who killed my parents?" he asked.

The griffins began screeching angrily again and Harry waited for it to pass before he continued.

"Well he and his followers are going to attack Hogsmeade in 3 days time and I have to stop them, I'm going to fight him" he explained.

The griffins began screeching again but Tristan looked at him calculatingly before screeching very loudly, causing the rest to fall silent.

He approached Harry and looked at him calculatingly for a moment before nodding once and screeching loudly again.

The rest of the herd approached him and began pecking at him gently.

"You're not mad at me?" Harry questioned them, relief evident in his voice.

They all shook their heads firmly and nestled closer to the teen who simply enjoyed the comfort he felt from the creatures.

Tristan stood away and began screeching in what Harry could only decipher as a good luck call, even the Thestrals appeared amongst the tree line to watch the spectacle.

Harry couldn't help but smile at the tribute he was receiving from the proud male griffin.

"Thank you" he said sincerely to the beast who nodded once more before taking off in flight with the rest of the herd following soon after.

Harry watched them flying laps around the property before he headed in to get ready for thing he was looking forward to least to least of all; telling Daphne that the battle would be happening in only a few short days.

He just hoped that she would understand his reasons for not having told her thus far.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius sat at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place staring into the dregs of what remained of his morning coffee, lost in thought.

He knew that the battle was fast approaching and his mind was on his wife and the daughter that he may be leaving behind.

A difficult conversation was about to be had and the marauder knew that Marlene was not going to e entirely happy about it but he would be firm. He had never commanded the woman to do anything, but this was different. To him this was non-negotiable and he would not take no for an answer.

"Morning love" the lady on his mind interrupted his thoughts. "Why are you not training the auror's?" she asked while she poured herself a drink.

"We gave them a few days off so they're ready for the fight" Sirius explained as he pulled her into a hug. "And that is something we need to talk about" he added with a sigh.

Marlene frowned and sat opposite her husband.

"Is this the part that you forbid me from being there?" she asked seriously.

"It is" Sirius replied simply.

Marlene raised an eyebrow at the man, willing him to continue.

"You can't be there Marlene" he began with a sigh.

"And what gives you the right to decide that for me?" she retorted hotly.

"Because if you are then I won't be able to concentrate, I will just be worried about you and that alone will get us both killed" he explained taking the woman's hands in his own.

"You need all the wands you can get, I can make a difference" Marlene pointed out.

Sirius had to concede that point to her. She was a very gifted witch and he was aware that they would be outnumbered.

"Harry has ideas that will make the difference" he replied seriously having being the only one privy to the teen's plans. He was confident that they would win but he couldn't guarantee that he would survive.

The two remained silent for a moment before Sirius sighed and spoke again.

"One of us need to make it through this Marlene, for Natalie" he said pleadingly. "If both of us die then she will have to go back to the orphanage, we can't do that to her" he added sadly at the thought of such a thing happening.

"And what if you die Sirius?" Marlene asked desperately.

"Then you will at least have each other", he answered with a sad smile.

"But I want you too you fool" she cried, tears forming in her eyes as she squeezed his hands painfully hard.

"And you have much more of a chance of that happening if you're not there" he explained.

Marlene swallowed deeply and nodded reluctantly.

Sirius pulled the distraught woman into a hug and she melted into his chest and sobbed silently.

"You better come back to me Sirius Black" she choked warningly.

Sirius just pulled her closer to him and enjoyed the warmth and love he felt when she was in his arms.

He had to be there to fight for the family he had only just gotten and he didn't trust anyone other than Harry to do that. He didn't trust anyone else to watch Harry's back when he needed it most and he certainly didn't trust anyone to watch his own back other than his godson.

If he died he knew that all those he loved would be cared for beyond necessity. If he died then he would be dying fulfilling the oath he had given to his best friend; being there for his godson and protecting him at all costs, something that Sirius felt that he had failed to do for most of the boy's life.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was stroking his familiar's plumage, waiting for the Hogwarts staff to arrive for the meting he had called.

He didn't have to wait long as they began to file in wearing looks of concern and confusion. When they were seated he looked upon his colleagues and smiled warmly at them.

"Those of you in the order are aware that Tuesday Lord Voldemort will be attacking Hogsmeade with the weight of his full force behind him" he began gravely.

Those who were aware nodded worriedly while those who were not wore looks of shock and fear.

"If that is so Albus then should we not keep the children in the castle today?" Slughorn asked eliciting many nods from several members of staff.

"Alas, if that were possible then I would be doing just that" Dumbledore answered the rotund man. "However, everything must appear to be normal, if we cancelled the trip then Tom would certainly become suspicious and may change his tact, something we do not want to happen" he explained. "But fear not, the students are safe" he finished confidently.

"How can you be sure?" Professor Sprout questioned with a frown.

"Because myself, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black will all be in the village today" the old man responded. simply

"You put too much faith in the boy Albus" Slughorn stated worriedly.

"You should have the same faith in Harry that I do Horace" Dumbledore implored. "All of our lives are in his hands, if he fails then we lose" he finished seriously.

Slughorn just shook his head. By all accounts of what he had heard and read the boy was very gifted, but he just could not bring himself to willingly place his life in his hands.

"I did call you here for a reason" Dumbledore began again. "As I will be in the village on Tuesday along with Minerva and Filius I must hand over control of the wards so the school can be secured after we have left" he explained.

"Who will take control Albus?" Professor Sinistra asked.

"It will fall to Pomona to ensure that the correct wards are erected when necessary and I hope that Argus, you will secure every possible entrance in and out of the castle" he added to the caretaker who nodded while stroking his cat.

"Horace, I would like you to secure the Slytherin students within their common room, I will not take any chances of the fight spilling within these walls and amongst our students" he instructed the man firmly.

"Of course" Slughorn agreed immediately.

He was aware that there were a number of students that had close family with questionable loyalties.

"In fact, I believe that it would be most safe to secure all of their students within their common rooms" Dumbledore added thoughtfully. "Just to be sure" he finished with a nod.

The meeting concluded shortly afterwards and Dumbledore found himself stroking the plumage of his phoenix.

"Into battle we go again my friend" he intoned sadly.

Fawkes trilled mournfully at the declaration.

"I know" Dumbledore sympathized. "But we have to be there for Harry, he will need us" he explained. "As much as I hate to admit it but they will all need us" he finished sadly.

Fawkes trilled again causing his companion to smile gently.

"Well if we don't make it Fawkes I was very pleased to have you with me for a century of my life also" he said sincerely, his eyes twinkling madly once.

Fawkes trilled once more and rubbed his head into the old man's hand lovingly.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Daphne had just taken their seats at a table in the Three Broomsticks after having placed their orders at the bar with Madame Rosmerta.

They had spent the day as they would spend most days in the village. They had shopped a little for various things, school supplies for Daphne and books and such for Harry.

Daphne noticed immediately that Harry was distracted. This wasn't entirely unusual but he was much more distracted than he would normally be.

"So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

Harry was shaken from his thoughts by the girl's question and he released a deep breath before he spoke.

"Tuesday" he sighed simply.

"Tuesday?" She questioned confusedly.

"Tom is going to attack on Tuesday with his whole army" Harry explained after he quickly erected a privacy ward around the pair.

Daphne closed her eyes, swallowed deeply and simply nodded at the announcement.

"You seem to be taking it better than I thought you would" Harry remarked thoughtfully.

"What can I do?" Daphne asked desperately opening her eyes.

Harry could see that they were already filled with unshed tears so he took her hand and squeezed it gently in a futile attempt to comfort the girl.

"I knew this was inevitable and I thought I'd come to terms with it" she shrugged. "But I haven't" she added quietly.

"I'm sorry" Harry tried weakly.

"What, for being yourself?" the girl asked rhetorically. "You don't have to apologise for that" she explained with a shake of her head. "I knew this day was coming Harry" she continued with a sigh of her own. "I just didn't expect it to be so soon" she finished sadly.

The two sat in silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye to you yet" Daphne sobbed suddenly.

"You think that I'm going to die then" Harry stated flatly.

Daphne shook her head firmly.

"I know you will do what it takes to make sure he does though, even if it does cost you your life" she replied knowingly.

Harry had nothing to say to that. She spoke the truth and they both knew it.

"You've said enough times that you aren't afraid to die and I know that if it's necessary to end him then that is exactly what you will do" the blonde pointed out.

"You're right" Harry admitted. "But I think you're missing something" he added.

"What's that?" Daphne questioned with a frown.

"I have something worth staying for now" Harry answered with a gentle smile.

Daphne continued to frown and Harry sighed before he spoke again.

"The night I was kidnapped after the tournament I was content to die" he began casually. "I had nothing and no one worth sticking around for, I could have been back with my family where I always wanted to be" he explained. "But things have changed since then" he added with a shake of his head.

"What's changed?" Daphne asked quietly.

"You" Harry stated simply. "I was ready to just let it all be over but then you came along and changed that", he said giving her hand another squeeze. "I'm not ready for this to be over either", he continued sincerely gesturing between the two. "I don't want this to end when it's only just begun" he finished.

"You really mean that?" Daphne asked emotionally.

"More than I can put into words" Harry answered truthfully. "I've completely fallen in love with you" he added quietly. "I'm not ready to die yet".

Daphne launched herself into his arms and held him tightly. She had waited for what felt like an eternity for him to say that to her and nothing could feel as special as this moment despite the difficulties that were coming.

"Then you better come back to me Harry" she begged emotionally. "I love you", she said simply. "What would I do without you?" she asked him desperately.

Harry pulled her in tighter before he spoke.

"I will do everything I can to come back", he promised. "I have something to fight for now, believe me, Tom has no idea what he has done" Harry ground out. "He ruined my past and I'll be damned if he's going to take my future away from me too".

The two just spent time in each other's arms while they could. Neither spoke much for the rest of the day but maintained some form of affectionate contact, both were simply content with this; words were simply not necessary.

 _(BREAK)_

Narcissa Black, for she was a Black once again, had spent the past few months living a rather peaceful and stress-free life. She had taken the opportunity to reflect back on the last decade of her life and come to several realisations.

The first thing she became aware of was how lonely she had truly been living with Lucius. Life in the house she now resided in had not been much different to how things were when she was living in Malfoy manor. In fact, she saw more of Harry here than she saw of her former husband when they had been married.

The young man would visit a couple of times a week to ensure that she was ok and had everything she needed despite the fact she had elves to fetch any necessities for her.

She had been very surprised by the attentiveness the teen had shown towards her. He was certainly taking his family responsibilities seriously and he, much to her surprise, treated her with much more respect than she had expected.

She had assumed that she would be little more than a prisoner under his care but she quickly realized that she had been wrong.

He did not expect her to simply remain in the home and even encouraged her to spend time away from the house and enjoy the pleasant weather here. He had even given her a very useful book on glamour charms that she could use when she wished to leave the property to shop so that she would not be noticed by anyone.

The fact that he gave her an allowance every week so that she could live a similar lifestyle that she had become accustomed to was another surprise for the blonde woman.

She learnt a lot about the teen from being under his care but the thing that stood out the most to her was how good of a person he truly was.

She had absolutely no doubt that he was fearsome with a wand and that within a second he would kill her if she gave him a reason but she also knew that he was one of the most caring and gentle people she had ever met.

She was the mother of his former school rival and the ex-wife of a very prominent Death Eater, yet he treated her better than she had been treated before by anyone who was supposed to care for her.

The only down side to this arrangement, as far as she could see, was that she missed her sister terribly and wished for nothing more than to have her with her.

She knew that it wasn't possible and she knew that Bella would soon be back in Azkaban if Potter were to win the war. But other than the desire to have her sister with her where it was safe life was finally being kind to the youngest Black sister and she certainly was not taking it for granted.

 _(BREAK)_

Alastor Moody looked at both Sirius and Harry calculatingly before allowing a sinister grin to form on his heavily scarred face.

"I like it" he growled pointing to the map of Hogsmeade they had laid on the table before them.

"It's risky" Robards cut in uncertainly. "But I have to agree that it is the best strategy in this case" he concluded a little reluctantly.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and dragged his hand through his hair.

"There is no way Tom will allow his people to risk being surrounded, it makes sense that he would surround the village" he pointed out. "He is not expecting us to be prepared for his attack and keeping one large force in the centre of the village will be much better for us. We are quite outnumbered but this way we can work together and deal with any unexpected surprises he might throw at us" he finished confidently.

The other three men nodded their agreement of the younger man's observations.

"The Death Eaters like to fight in chaotic conditions" Sirius began. "If we take the chaos away from them then they will have to fight strategically, something they don't do well at all and if we fight the way we have trained then they won't stand a chance" he explained.

"Then we have our groups of four" Robards agreed with a nod. "Two strictly defending and two firing spells, that will minimize our casualties" he observed feeling much more comfortable with the plan.

"Then let's go break the news" Moody suggested with another grin.

The four men entered the training room to find the auror's already standing in their ranks waiting to be addressed.

"At ease men" Moody commanded as they filed in.

The auror's physically relaxed their stances but the apprehension could felt throughout the room.

"Tomorrow we fight" Moody announced simply. "As long as you do what you've been taught and do as you're told then we will win, I have no doubt" he growled firmly.

There was some uncomfortable shifting heard throughout the room at the news of the impending fight.

"I am not a man easily impressed" Mood began again as he paced the breadth of the ranks looking at individuals as he passed. "But you bastards have impressed me" he admitted sincerely.

A few smiles could be seen amongst the men and women at the praise from their leader.

"3 months ago you were a sorry shower of shit" he proclaimed. "Those days are behind us now" he continued. "You are a team and a damn good one at that, there hasn't been a team of auror's like you in many decades" he praised. "Now lets prove it to those bastards that want to take our lives away, our families lives away and let's end these pricks once and for all" he finished passionately.

"Yes sir" the assembled auror's roared causing the man to give them a genuine smile.

"Head auror Robards will explain the plan to you but remember, more than anything else, to avoid the Dark Lord" he warned. "We all know for damn sure that there is only one man in this room capable of taking that shit down" he added with a look towards Harry who just nodded darkly towards them.

He, along with Sirius and Moody made their way to the exit when they were stopped by the voice of Gawain Robards.

"Potter, Black" he called in a commanding tone causing the pair to turn towards the man.

"We thank you for your service, it has been an honour to have you with us these past few months" he said sincerely. "Auror's" he commanded.

The auror's stood smartly to attention, awaiting further instructions from their leader.

"Salute" he instructed simply.

The gathered men and women along with Moody and Robards held their wands in front of them and fired off an array of different coloured sparks in tribute to the two men that had trained them.

Harry and Sirius mimicked their action in a show of respect.

"It has been our honour to be here" Sirius said with a bow towards the auror's.

"We got there" Harry cut in with a grin. "I have every bit of faith that we will be successful tomorrow" he added confidently.

The three men exited the room and Moody immediately clapped the other two on their shoulders firmly.

"You earned their respect" he explained. "It's not often that you see that salute, they trust you" he finished knowingly.

Harry and Sirius both nodded humbly.

The last few months had been difficult but they knew that it had been worth it. Not only had they helped the auror's improve they had both certainly become better wizard's and fighters from the experience.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have a few surprises to leave for Tom and his followers" Harry announced coyly.

Sirius eyes suddenly became alight with mischief and mirth.

"Pranks?" he asked with more than a little hope in his voice.

"More than pranks" Harry replied warningly but was grinning nonetheless.

"Please you have to let me help" Sirius pleaded. "I haven't pranked anyone in years and this will make up for it" he said excitedly.

Harry sighed and shook his head at his childlike godfather, but grinned again at the idea that formed in his head.

"OK" he agreed simply. "But there is one condition".

Sirius's face fell and he frowned at his godson questioningly.

"You have to come and visit the portrait of my grandparent's, you've put it off for too long" Harry chided.

Sirius was clearly torn between his need to take part in a prank and not wanting to be scolded by Charlus and Dorea.

After a few moments he nodded reluctantly. Clearly the man needed a little respite in the form of some kind of prank from the seriousness of the day and task ahead.

"At least they can't curse me" he grumbled.

Moody just shook his head at the two.

"Anything we should be aware of?" he asked with a frown.

Harry shook his head.

"No, just a few things for Tom and his friends" he answered with a grin. "They won't be anywhere near us" he assured the man.

Moody nodded.

"Make sure you sleep well, a tired fighter is a useless fighter", he instructed firmly.

The two men nodded their understanding before apparating away.

Moody just grinned at the thought of the impending battle.

"It's been too long" he growled to himself.

 _(BREAK)_

Hermione and Neville were making their way up the winding stone staircase that led to the owlery so they could send letters home.

They entered the room to find a very pensive and worried looking Daphne who clearly had not heard the duo coming in.

"Daphne?" Hermione called out causing the girl to startle at the voice.

"Oh hello Granger, Longbottom" the blonde greeted the pair distractedly.

"What's wrong" Neville asked with a frown.

He was aware that the girl was not fazed easily so whatever was bothering her must be quite significant.

Daphne looked at them and sighed sadly.

"I'm not ready" she said simply and swallowed deeply.

"For what?" Hermione asked gently.

Daphne looked at the two critically before she sighed again.

"Tomorrow" she answered weakly. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to him" she reaffirmed.

"To who?" Neville inquired confusedly.

"You don't know then?" Daphne returned with a frown.

Neville and Hermione looked at each other uncertainly.

"You-Know-Who is attacking tomorrow, it will all be over" she explained in a choked whisper.

Both of the Gryffindor's were shocked by the information.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked urgently.

"Harry told me, he's going to fight him" Daphne replied worriedly.

"Shit" Neville intoned.

"I need to find Hannah" Hermione announced in a panic. "They will definitely lock the castle down" she added knowingly.

"She'll be in the greenhouses" Neville said as he took the girls arm and began leading her out of the tower.

"What are you doing?" Daphne asked the two.

"We've been preparing" Hermione answered sheepishly. "They'll need healers" she explained as she was pulled away by her classmate.

Daphne shook her head at the retreating pair.

Harry had made her promise that she wouldn't attempt to involve herself and she had reluctantly agreed.

She wouldn't break her promise to him, no matter how awful it felt just waiting around for whatever will happen to happen.

 _(BREAK)_

Hermione and Neville burst into the greenhouse where Hannah was working.

"Tomorrow" Hermione said breathlessly. "They're attacking the village tomorrow" she added after catching her breath a little.

"How do you know? Hannah asked skeptically.

"Harry told Daphne" Neville explained.

"That means we need to go now" Hermione said impatiently and began pulling the blonde out of the greenhouse.

"How will we get out?" Hannah asked.

"I know a way" Hermione answered. "I need to get my bag and cat, he will let us into the tunnel under the whomping willow" she explained. "It leads to the shrieking shack" she added when she saw the confused expressions of her companions.

"The shrieking shack?" Hannah questioned fearfully.

"It's not haunted" Hermione responded exasperatedly. "There's no time to explain, meet me in the entrance hall in 20 minutes" she instructed as they entered the castle.

"Us you mean" Neville cut in firmly.

"Neville, you haven't done the healing training" Hermione replied, shaking her head.

"No" Neville agreed. "But I have been practicing from the book Harry sent and you two will need someone to watch your backs" he pointed out.

"I didn't think of that" Hermione conceded biting her lip worriedly.

"Then it's settled, 20 minutes it is" he said with a grin.

They separated to fetch what they needed for the unexpected day ahead of them, none knowing what it was they were getting themselves in to.

 _(BREAK)_

"Are you really going to make me do this?" Sirius questioned Harry worriedly as they were stood at the door to the library.

"Yep" Harry answered and pushed the man into the room, following him and sealing the door behind him to prevent his godfather from fleeing.

He took Sirius by the arm and led him to where his Grandparent's portrait was situated and placed him in front.

Sirius glanced at the pair and hung his head in anticipation for the scolding of a lifetime.

"So you finally came to visit us" Charlus stated casually.

"Yes sir" Sirius replied and swallowed deeply.

"Stand up straight boy" the man in the portrait commanded.

Sirius immediately postured and slowly looked at the man and was surprised to see him smiling.

"You've grown into a fine young man Sirius" Charlus praised warmly.

"You're not angry with me?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"I have no right to be" Charlus shrugged. "I too made mistakes that I always regretted, I'm sure you carry enough guilt without me adding to it" he observed.

Sirius just nodded his agreement and swallowed again.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Charlus asked the marauder and his grandson.

"As ready as we ever will be" Harry answered, sharing a look with his godfather.

"Good" Charlus responded sincerely. "You two go and show those bastards why you shouldn't mess with the Potters and the Blacks" he instructed firmly.

The duo nodded.

"And Sirius?" Dorea spoke up causing the man to look towards his great aunt. "Do come and see us when it's all over, we have a lot of catching up to do" she explained gently.

Sirius nodded and gave the woman a smile.

"I will" he promised.

"And you had better bring that young lady to see us Harry, we have waited long enough to meet her" Charlus added to his grandson with a raised eyebrow.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"You will both be fine" Charlus assured them. "Trust each other and look out for each other then there will be nothing that can stop you" he said encouragingly.

Harry and Sirius shared a smile and a nod.

"Can we go prank now?" Sirius asked petulantly causing Harry to frown.

"Come on then" he sighed. "Let's get it over with".

Sirius chuckled gleefully and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Oh this will be fun" he mused aloud.

 _(BREAK)_

The morning of April 1st dawned as any typical morning would. The sun rose and the birds chirped their tuneful song; there was no indication that today would see the spilling of blood and the loss of life that came with glorious battle.

Harry awoke from his slumber in a mood that could only be described as ready and willing. He neither felt excited nor scared or nervous; he was just ready.

It felt as though his whole life had led to this day; an inevitable confrontation with the temptress that was fate, though Harry despised the idea of an already determined path laid about before him. He had known for almost two years that this fight was going to take place and he was simply ready for it. He had done everything possible to prepare for it and he would have no regrets regardless of the outcome.

In some ways he was tired of life, the life he had been given certainly. But he knew that he could change that today, it was in his own hands and he wasn't about to forfeit his right to a peaceful existence without fighting with every fibre of his being. He had goals and aspirations to fulfill now and a future that was worth living for and as much as he wanted to be with his family once more he knew that they would prefer much more for him to survive and live a full life. The other side after all was an eternal condemnation and he would only be here for a mere blink of an eye.

He got out of bed and glimpsed the pictures on his bedside table. He picked them up and smiled at the sight of his parents and grandparent's happiness as they were gathered in the hospital room he had been born in.

"For you" he whispered and placed a kiss on each picture before placing them back where they belonged and left his room.

He showered and dressed in loose fitted khaki combat trousers, a fitted black t-shirt and white trainers, his preferred attire for a fight. He decided to not wear body armour as it inhibited his movement, something he would not risk despite the added protection it offered; he had more than enough faith in his own ability that he felt comfortable without it.

He apparated in to the kitchen of Potter Manor to find a very subdued Maisie already preparing his breakfast.

Though he didn't feel particularly hungry he knew he had to eat; he would certainly be needing the energy today.

Maisie served him the food with a sorrowful look towards the young man she had come to both respect and admire over the past many months and Harry smiled gently at the creature.

"Don't be sad Maisie" he tried, rubbing the elf comfortingly on the shoulder. "If things end badly today you will be cared for, I promise".

"Maisie just wants Master Harry backs in one piece" the elf said emotionally. "Maisie will miss her Master Harry" she added sadly.

Harry pulled the elf into a hug.

"Well Maisie I promise you will see me again, no matter what" Harry promised knowingly. "You are family after all" he added sincerely.

The elf choked back a sob and held the teen closer to her.

"Yous needs to be eating your breakfast Master Harry" she instructed firmly. "Yous can't be beating bad wizard's with and empty stomach" she finished knowingly.

Harry simply chuckled at the little elf. He knew perfectly well that she had been through war before and had cared for hi grandfather the same way she was now caring for him.

'I guess it doesn't get easier the more you face it' he thought to himself.

He was pulled from his musings by the arrival of his godfather who was looking very grave indeed, the amusement from last night being long forgotten. Harry could see that Sirius meant business.

He was dressed similarly to Harry though he wore all black and had tied his long hair into a ponytail.

"Ready?" the marauder asked.

Harry nodded.

"I've done everything I can think of" he responded certainly.

"Me too" Sirius confirmed.

The two remained silent for a moment just looking each other speculatively.

"Promise me something" Sirius suddenly spoke up.

"Anything" Harry answered genuinely.

"Please be there for Marlene and Natalie if I don't make it" he pleaded.

Harry shook his head disbelievingly.

"You don't even have to ask, you know that" Harry replied with a soft smile.

"I just had to make sure" Sirius explained, choking on his words a little.

Harry pulled his godfather into a tight hug.

"How about we don't let these bastards take anything else from us" he stated coldly.

Sirius gave a watery chuckle.

"How is it you can be so strong?" Sirius asked, shaking his head.

"I've always had to be" Harry shrugged "And right now I have to be more than ever" he explained.

Sirius wiped his eyes and stood stiffly.

"You're right, we need to be today if we want to get out of this alive" he agreed readily.

"No holding back today and no hesitating, if in doubt fire first and we handle the rest later" Harry said with a decisive nod.

Sirius just nodded, his expression darkening considerably.

It was almost time to fight and both men were as ready as they ever would be for the coming battle.

 _(BREAK)_

Marlene woke alone in the bed she shared with her husband and immediately felt herself overcome with fear. She knew that he had gone to Harry's to wait for the signal to indicate the attack had begun yet she knew he had not been gone long as warmth could still be felt from where he had been lying only moments ago.

She sighed and looked towards his pillow to see a letter that the man had clearly written to her. She understood that a conversation before the inevitable would be unbearable for them both and she found herself grateful they he had the initiative to go because she could not trust herself to allow him to had he waited for her to wake.

She wiped away the tears that had begun to fall, picked up the parchment and began to read.

 _To my beautiful wife,_

 _I know this is not easy for you but I have to do it for us all, for myself, for you and our daughter._

 _I couldn't face the conversation we would undoubtedly have so I put everything important I wanted to say in this letter, please forgive me for my cowardice, I wouldn't be able to leave today if I had to look you in the eyes and then walk away._

 _Remember that I love you more than life itself and there is nothing that will change that. I only hope that today unfolds the way we want it to and that I will be back with you soon enough. If that is not to be then I want you to know that there will be a day that we see each other again and I will be waiting for you and Natalie on the other side._

 _Take care of our daughter, you have everything you will both ever need and I will see you either soon or later once you have lived a life you deserve._

 _I have no doubt that Harry will win today but I cannot promise that I will make it. He will be there for you if you need anything._

 _All my love and so much more,_

 _Your idiot Husband, Sirius_

Marlene choked back a sob as she finished the letter and pulled it to her chest in attempt to feel closer to the man.

"Come back to me Sirius" she begged.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore stood in front of the assembled members of the order of the phoenix looking as grave as any had ever seen him.

"I have been instructed by Alastor to tell you all to only defend the auror's and shield them as best you can, he will not tolerate Death Eaters being stunned, they are aiming to kill so do not get in their way" he explained seriously.

"What if we are willing to kill them?" Bill Weasley asked with a frown.

"Then I am sure your efforts will be appreciated" Dumbledore answered.

Bill nodded towards his father and brother's with the exception of Ron who would be remaining in the castle.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and turned to see Remus Lupin giving him a hard stare followed by a resolute nod.

"You too?" Bill asked uncertainly.

"The last two people I consider family are out there, I've lost everyone else and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I don't lose anyone else" Remus explained firmly, the wolf within him making it's presence known through the amber glow in the man's eyes.

"It looks like you are with us then" Fred intoned pulling the werewolf into the huddle of redheads.

"An honorary Weasley for the day" George added with a grin.

"Welcome to the family" the twin's chorused together causing the man to grin.

"You're all insane" Doge cut in disbelievingly.

"Were your wife and daughter murdered by those bastards?" Arthur asked the man coldly. "No, so shut up Doge, we will take what action we please and you can stuff it" he spat uncharacteristically.

Elphias Doge remained silent. He could see the Weasley patriarch was on the edge and he did not want to be the man to push him.

"How will we know when to go?" Emmeline Vance questioned the headmaster.

"Alastor will send us the signal" Dumbledore answered.

"Then we wait" Charlie piped up and sunk into a nearby chair waiting for the go ahead from their leader.

The rest of the group just nodded and followed suit.

 _(BREAK)_

Daphne entered the Great Hall along with her sister and Tracey to find that the day appeared to be as normal as ever, though she knew it wasn't and that notion was made even more clear by the absence of the more prominent members of staff from the table.

Those who were absent were clearly very tense and looking apprehensive.

"What's going on?" Tracey asked having been aware of Daphne's lack of attention for the past few days.

She had at first put it down to the fact that the girl was lovesick but noticing her stiffening posture as she entered the room made it very clear to the girl that something was certainly amiss.

"It's happening today?" Daphne whispered worriedly to her friend.

Tracey's eyebrows rose significantly.

"Today?" she hissed incredulously. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

"I had to keep it as quiet as possible" the blonde explained.

Tracey nodded her understanding. There were certainly a few people in the castle of questionable morals and character, this she knew for sure.

The trio sat and began eating their breakfast and it wasn't long after that Professor Sprout stood and addresses the room.

"The castle is under an indefinite lockdown" she announced. "When breakfast is over you will be confined to your common rooms for your own safety" she added. "Anyone who refuses will be detained using necessary force" she finished sternly.

A lot of speculative chatter broke out within the room with several people trying to guess what the reason could be for the lockdown, though it was obvious to most.

"But Neville and Hermione aren't here" Ron called out to the Herbology Professor worriedly.

"Hannah is missing too" Susan Bones broke in clearly concerned about her friend.

"I'm guessing they somehow became aware of todays happenings" Madame Pomfrey whispered to Sprout who swallowed deeply.

"Are you sure?" she asked the matron quietly.

"I've been teaching the girls and I'm guessing Mr. Longbottom decided to be a foolish Gryffindor and tag along" Pomfrey replied, sure of her deductions.

"Are any other students missing?" Sprout asked those in the hall.

When none came forward she sighed in relief.

"Hufflepuff's will follow me to the dormitory, Ravenclaw students will follow Professor Sinistra, Gryffindor's will follow Professor Grubbly-Plank and Slytherin will follow Professor Slughorn" she explained firmly.

"And what if we want to fight?" a seventh year Ravenclaw asked, standing up to be recognised. "My father is an auror and will be out there I want to be with him" he stated angrily.

"Your father is a trained auror Mr. Mitchell, it is his job and you are still a student" Sprout answered. "We have been instructed to not allow anyone to leave" she explained further.

"Your mudblood father is history Mitchell" Marcus Belby shouted from the Slytherin table gleefully.

"Moron" Blaise Zabini muttered. "How stupid can you be to announce your allegiance right now" he added shaking his head ruefully.

The Ravenclaw boy chuckled darkly at the Slytherin who frowned at him irritably.

"What's so funny?" Belby asked confusedly.

"Well if your father is fighting for You-know-who then he is the one that is history" Mitchell answered. "My father and the rest of the auror's have been trained by Potter and Black" he finished with a smirk.

An eruption of chatter began in the room again at that revelation.

"Liar" Belby snarled.

"Not at all" Mitchell shrugged. "I'm sure you'll find out when they are using a mop to clean up your father's remains off of the pavement" he finished, taking his seat again.

Belby visibly paled and made to run from the room but was stopped as the doors slammed shut before he could leave.

"Sit down Belby" Slughorn commanded.

"But my father" the teen whined.

"You were happy enough to mock another student for the same thing, now sit down you idiot boy" the potions master commanded angrily drawing his wand.

Belby eyed the wand warily and swallowed deeply before taking his seat.

"Has Harry and Sirius really been training the auror's?" Astoria asked her sister.

"Since January" Daphne replied.

Blaise Zabini chuckled amusedly.

"Looks as though the Dark Lord has no idea what he's getting himself in for" he mused aloud with a smirk.

Belby gave him a venomous glare, which Blaise returned equally.

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of explosions sounding from the village in the distance.

"So it begins" Daphne said weakly.

Tracey and Astoria both put a comforting arm around the girl and Blaise sat vigilantly by them.

The group was joined by a teary-eyed Natalie who was quickly pulled into Daphne's arms by the older girl.

All they could do was comfort each other for the time being and hope that those they loved and cared for came out on the other side, alive and as unharmed as possible.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Sirius had been waiting around for almost two hours, the desire to fight growing with each passing moment. To them the wait was worse than any fight could possibly be.

They became restless and irritable because of the anticipation they felt so both chose to remain silent, lost in their own thoughts.

Harry had been preparing by reminding him why he was fighting and what it was he was fighting for.

'Family, vengeance, freedom, peace, a future, Daphne' he repeated to himself over and over again.

His eyes had been glowing dangerously for some time as his magic readied itself to be used liberally.

He could feel it thrumming through his blood, itching to be used, itching to cut down those that were threatening everything he held in his heart.

He began pacing becoming more and more furious at the thoughts of his parents being murdered, watching Cedric be murdered right in front of him and being useless in that moment. He thought of all the problems Tom had caused him and the life he had been condemned to because of him.

He thought of the childhood he had and the one he should have. He pondered what Tom would do to those who refused under his regime but most of all, he thought of what Tom would do to Daphne if he were to lose.

His eyes became alight with a new fire and his magic positively pounded throughout him and he growled angrily.

He was both furious and excited at the prospect of both revenge and preventing any further pain.

He simply could not wait to kill Tom Riddle and he would damn well enjoy it.

He would allow no man to threaten his life or those that were making it worth living. People and Tom in particular had taken liberties with the young man for too long and something had finally snapped within him as he recollected every last injustice that had befallen him throughout his life.

Sirius looked towards his godson after he heard him growl and felt a trickle of fear make its way down his spine as he saw the expression the younger man wore and the eerie glow of his eyes the became more apparent and began pulsing brighter and brighter.

He was about to place a hand on Harry's shoulder in an attempt to calm him when they were intruded upon by a patronus in the form of a coyote.

"NOW" the voice of Moody roared.

The two men locked eyes and Harry vanished instantly.

Sirius couldn't miss the look of pain and anger his godson wore; he simply looked deranged.

He followed the teen only a split second later and appeared in the middle of the village by Harry's side, as planned.

The moment he landed Harry sent off a barrage of blasting and explosion curses, tearing large chunks of stone from the surrounding buildings and sending several Death Eaters fleeing from the onslaught of the debris that flew towards them.

Sirius stood shoulder to shoulder with his godson and began firing the most devastating spells in his arsenal at the cloaked men killing several of them in quick succession.

The two worked in perfect harmony and synchronicity as they had trained; completely unaware of their allies behind them who were fighting for everything they were worth. It was them and only them; Sirius and Harry against the world, just the way it should always have been.

Many paused to watch the duo for a few seconds and were completely blown away by the devastation the two wands caused in the hands of the two men.

If battle and war could be considered beautiful then what they created was a live and ongoing masterpiece of death and destruction for those that stood behind the wands of the artists.

For those that stood in front of them it was simply hell on earth. There was no beauty or grim artistic appreciation; only fear and pain could be experienced from this perspective.

The pair quickly settled into their usual rhythm and defended each other when necessary and rained deadly spells down on their enemies with speed and precision, killing, maiming and destroying indiscriminately.

 _(BREAK)_

At Moody's signal Dumbledore and the rest of the order activated their portkeys and arrived amongst the contingency of auror's.

The headmaster immediately began conjuring heavy, thick slabs of granite in front of their ranks, his mastery of transfiguration being demonstrated by the speed and quality in which he produced the barriers.

Remus and the Weasley's began forcing their way through the crowd to be at the forefront of the action. They heard the explosions and screams coming from their left and headed in that direction, making an educated guess that Harry and Sirius were the cause of the spells that were wreaking so much havoc amongst the Death Eaters.

Bill began twirling his wand and muttering under his breath.

"Anti-apparition wards" he explained with a grin to his companions. "We don't want any of them escaping do we?" he asked with a dark laugh.

Remus spotted by Harry and Sirius ahead and made his way to them simply bumping anyone aside who hindered his progress.

The Weasley's followed the werewolf and soon found themselves in the thick of the action where they could see Death Eater upon Death Eater being cut down ruthlessly by the duo.

They added their own spells to the mix, cutting down their enemies without hesitation.

"For my wife" Arthur growled, his eyes full of tears as he felled a cloaked figure with a cutting hex. "And for my daughter" he sobbed as he brought down another in a similar fashion.

The men fought for all they were worth. If they were going to die today then they would die knowing that they fought for what they believed in.

 _(BREAK)_

Hermione, Neville and Hannah were woken by the sound of loud explosions as they slept in the shrieking shack.

The trio immediately jumped to their feet, confused and on edge. It took them a moment to remember why they were here.

"We should have stayed in the castle" Hannah said simply as several screams of pain were heard from outside.

"We have to help" Hermione responded pulling her magically altered messenger bag onto her shoulder.

Hannah swallowed deeply and nodded reluctantly.

"Let's go then" Neville sighed as he drew his wand and opened the door.

The two Gryffindor's and the Hufflepuff left the shack cautiously and began scanning the area.

They could see cloaked figures everywhere but they were not paying attention to the three students, they were all focused on a large cluster of men in the centre of the village where hundreds of spells were impacting into the ranks of the Death Eaters that had them surrounded.

"That way" Neville instructed pointing towards a small gap.

He moved forward carefully, closely followed by his companions.

The reason for the gap in the circle of men soon became apparent.

The ground was littered with the bodies of those that had failed to defend themselves. Dismembered limbs and various parts of the human anatomy were strewn about the ground as nothing more than offal that a butcher would discard after he had taken anything worthy from a carcass.

Hannah doubled over and vomited at the gory sight and the smell of blood, urine and excrement that permeated the usually fresh and crisp air of the village.

Neville patted the girl on the back and looked up to see a familiar young man firing off hexes towards somewhere on their left.

"Harry" he whispered.

Hermione and Hannah both looked towards where Neville was staring and blanched at the sight of the teen.

Harry was firing off spell after spell in quick succession into the hoards of Death Eaters but that was not what caught them off guard. It was the sight of the teen that shocked them.

The young man was covered from head to toe in blood and they could tell by the way he was still moving and firing off spells that the blood wasn't his.

He was simply terrifying and his eyes were visibly glowing as he rained down destruction. He looked positively feral and the expression on his face gave his former classmates chills.

They watched in awe as the various jets of light erupted from his wand with power and precision.

They were snapped from their awestruck state as they saw a cloaked figure charge towards the teen that was quickly rendered into nothing but a spatter of blood and sinew on the pavement. The body exploded into a mist of blood and guts as the green-eyed teen's spell hit true.

Hannah proceeded to vomit again and both Neville and Hermione paled considerably at what they had just seen.

"We should have stayed in the castle" Neville echoed the blonde's previous sentiments.

Before any reply could be given a moan was heard from their right and Hermione immediately headed towards the sound with her wand drawn; she didn't want to come across a Death Eater after all.

Fortunately for the trio it was an auror whose robes were soaked in blood from a deep wound in his back.

The man groaned again and tried to move but was stopped by Hermione as she sprung into action.

Looking up and seeing the Hogwarts robes the girl was wearing the auror frowned.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he ground out.

Hermione raised her eyebrow at the man.

"Do you want my help?" she asked indicating the bag of potions she carried.

"What is that?" the auror questioned confusedly.

"Potions" Hermione answered simply as she opened the bag. "Hannah can you start knitting the wound" she asked.

After a moment of hesitation the Hufflepuff stepped forward drawing her wand and began the spell work on the man's injury.

"Blood replenisher" Hermione mumbled and she reached into her bag immediately and pulled out the vial of red liquid. "Pain potion" she muttered and removed the potion and began administering them to the man.

"That is quite a handy bag" the auror observed through a grimace. "My wife is a healer and would love that" he added.

"Told you" Hannah said triumphantly to the bushy-haired brunette.

"Did you make it?" the man asked as he swallowed the potions given to him.

Hermione just nodded shyly.

"You must be damn clever" he praised as he winced in pain once again.

"Done" Hannah proclaimed as she stepped back to admire her work.

The auror stood and stretched, noticing that the pain had subsided and he did not feel so nauseous and dizzy from the blood loss.

"Not bad" he praised, surprised by the skill of teens. "But you should get the hell out of here, this is no place for kids" he advised firmly.

Before she could respond Hermione heard a bang louder than any she had heard before and felt herself being hurtled through the air.

She felt herself impact on to the ground with a loud thud and felt pain shoot through her whole body. The pain overwhelmed her and she instantly felt very sick and dizzy.

Within moments she knew no more as she lost consciousness, her last coherent thought being on the two friends that had accompanied her here.

 _(BREAK)_

The Dark Lord watched from the relative safety of the mountains north of the village as his followers began their attack.

In a matter of seconds all hell broke loose as the entire auror force of the ministry arrived followed by several others including Dumbledore and his ilk. Even from this distance the Dark Lord recognized the telltale silver hair and beard that his former transfiguration professor adorned.

He watched as his ranks were being decimated by the combined efforts of the auror's and those that had accompanied them here.

"They knew" he realized with a growl. "They must have found out" he whispered angrily as he witnessed how organized his foes were.

He shook with anger and was about to sound a command of withdrawal but felt the presence of an anti-apparition ward being put in place.

"Damn" he roared as he pointed his wand at a boulder behind him causing it to disintegrate into dust. "Lucius, Antonin, Alecto, Amycus" he called. "Lead the inferi into the enemy ranks" he commanded.

"Yes my Lord" the group replied in unison as they began herding the animated corpses towards their target.

Voldemort knew that the bodies needed to be guided or they would simply attack his own men as they made their journey; they were mindless after all and had one trail of thought and that was to maim and kill any living person they come into contact with.

The Dark Lord watched as his followers led the 200 or so creatures into the fray and smiled maliciously.

"Jugson, Selwyn" he called to his final two companions. "Send in the Dementors and the rest of our friends" he instructed. "We need to see where the patronus's come from" he explained.

He wanted to know exactly where Potter was. He did not want to have to waste energy by fighting through the crowd as he sought the boy.

He would need all the reserves he had. There would be no underestimating Harry Potter this time.

But before he confronted the boy he would overwhelm him and his allies with his superior numbers, tire him as much as possible and then end him quickly.

"Let's see how you handle that Potter" he spat angrily as he narrowed his red eyes in disgust as he watched his men being dismantled by his enemies.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and Sirius became aware that they had been joined by others. They noticed the Weasley's and' Remus assembled behind them, firing their own spells into the advancing Death Eaters and they noticed both Robards and Moody to their right following their own example of working in tandem with one another, doing so effectively.

The other thing they noticed was that their own numbers were beginning to dwindle and reduce fairly rapidly. They were outnumbered considerably and knew their losses would be felt much more than Tom's.

Harry growled and began firing off spells with more vigour but was distracted by a frantic shouting coming from an auror to his left who was pointing in the direction of the mountains.

"Inferi" the man warned worriedly.

Harry turned and saw the mass of pale corpses making their way towards them and he released a breath of frustration.

He sent off a patronus and began fighting again hoping that one of his contingency plans would come into effect quickly.

"A patronus?" Sirius asked confusedly.

"You'll see" Harry answered simply and began fighting once more.

Sirius just shook his head and continued firing a salvo of spells into a group of Death Eaters to his left.

It was only a short minute later that the auror's and members of the order were disturbed by the arrival of dozens of men and women in light blue robes who immediately began helping them by attacking the Death Eaters and inferi that were quickly closing the distance between them.

"It's nice of you to join us Jean" Harry greeted the head of the French DMLE.

"I wouldn't miss eet for the world 'Arry" the man responded as he clapped the teen on the shoulder before sending a stream of fire into the inferi.

"Damn Potter" Moody growled approvingly. "You know how to make the right friends" he praised as he fired of a killing curse towards the Death Eaters that were leading the dead towards them.

Harry just nodded and continued his own efforts to prevent them from being overrun.

 _(BREAK)_

Lord Voldemort looked on with glee as his men started to gain the upper hand as the auror numbers began reducing at a satisfactory pace.

'Perhaps I won't even need to fight him' he mused happily.

His joy quickly turned to shock and anger once more as the number of the auror's was bolstered significantly by the arrival of a hundred or so men and women in light blue robes.

The Dark Lord growled angrily but allowed a cruel smirk to cross his distorted features as he witnessed the last of his men and followers heading towards the fray.

"Not bad" he admitted grudgingly. "But not good enough" he added confidently as he focused once more on the fight waiting for Potter to reveal his location, just in case.

 _(BREAK)_

With the addition of the French auror's things started to look up as the progress made by the corpses in their advance were hindered greatly.

The arrival of the French gave the English auror's a moment of respite so they could take a breath and heal any injuries they had received.

Their respite was short-lived however as several shouts rang out within their group at once.

"Giants" a female voice sounded.

"Trolls" another followed.

"Dementors" a gruff male voice finished as each new enemy was identified and indicated by which way they were approaching.

"Shit" Moody growled.

A roar of pain and anguish sounded from where the giants were approaching. The noise rose above all other audible happenings in the village and many stopped what they were doing as the chilling sound began.

"Looks like one of them fell into one of your traps" Sirius said in explanation.

"Looks like it worked then" Moody mumbled.

"Traps?" Robards questioned the trio.

"We gouged a few trenches into the ground and filled them with spikes" Harry explained with a shrug.

"And put a few curses on them before hiding them with illusion spells" Sirius explained further with a proud grin.

"Nice work lads" Moody praised. "Now can we get on with it?" he asked irritably as another roar of anger could be heard.

"Sirius, you go with Gawain and deal with the giants, lure them into the trenches if you can" Harry instructed.

"I'm not leaving you" Sirius responded adamantly.

Harry sighed.

"Look what is heading this way" he pointed out. "Dementors are not your strong point if you remember correctly and those with the trolls is not a good mix for you" he returned heatedly.

"Go on lad" Moody encouraged him. "I've got his back" he said promisingly.

Sirius nodded reluctantly and pulled his godson into a hug.

"I'll be back as soon as possible" Sirius whispered and headed of quickly with the head of the auror's to tackle the giants that were descending on them.

Harry turned back towards the advancing enemy and shook his head knowingly.

"This is not going to go well" he stated to Moody.

"Aye lad, the men are getting tired" he pointed out. "And there are too many" he growled as a large crowd of Vampires and un-transformed werewolves headed towards them.

"Fuck" Harry gritted out and pulled Moody forwards with him as he leveled his wand at the advancing inferi.

" _FIENDFYRE"_ he roared and looked on as a chimera erupted from his wand and began reducing the corpses to ash.

Moody nodded approvingly and followed suit, sending the Death Eaters controlling them scattering in several directions.

They new their efforts were in vain however.

They would soon be overrun by: the trolls, vampires, werewolves, dementors and the rest of the Death Eaters.

All that was left was to fight until they could no longer.

Harry felt a wave of anger overcome him as he felt his chance at vengeance and redemption slipping from his fingers the closer Tom's army got.

He shook his head as he realized that the trolls leading the charge were only a dozen or so metre's from them and he braced himself for the fight of a lifetime.

"Pull back" a man behind them shouted but both Moody and Harry ignored the advice; neither man would retreat now.

The trolls made it to around 20 feet away when several loud and indignant screeches could be heard coming from the direction of the forbidden forest.

Harry frowned at the familiar sound but his eyebrows quickly rose in recognition as he spotted a large collection of beasts flying towards them.

"Tristan" he whispered knowingly.

"What?" Moody asked, clearly on edge by the new arrivals.

"My griffins and Thestrals" Harry pointed out gratefully as the mass of beasts collided with the trolls, vampires and trolls.

A loud cheer erupted from within their ranks as they dispatched of the trolls in only a few moments and sent the werewolves and vampires retreating in panic at the sight of the unexpected cavalry.

"You have griffins?" Moody asked Harry disbelievingly.

Harry just nodded and grinned.

"Must be damn loyal to you" he observed as he witnessed the creatures tearing the trolls limb from limb.

"They are" Harry replied in just above a whisper.

He quickly fired a spell over Moody's shoulder as he caught a glimpse of blonde hair attempting to retreat.

The main screamed in pain as the curse collided with him and he fell to the ground.

"Oh Lucy, I have been waiting for this" Harry spoke in a dangerous tone as he approached the down man.

"Potter" Malfoy spat distastefully. "The Dark Lord is looking forward to killing you" he added but the fear he felt was evident in his voice.

"He can't be that excited" Harry shrugged. "He's sending his arse-lickers in first to try and weaken me" he concluded thoughtfully.

Malfoy just growled but did nothing and Harry wanted him to fight. He smirked at the idea that formed in his mind.

"Your ex-wife sends her regards" he goaded and was pleased to see Malfoy stiffen at his words.

"She's with you?" the blonde asked incredulously.

"She is family" Harry happily pointed out.

Malfoy growled at the younger man but was saved from the need to curse him as Dolohov appeared and fired a curse towards the teen that he batted aside casually.

"I don't know who you are but you can't be worth shit if you're licking Tom's arse too" Harry said to the newcomer casually.

"Very cocky for a man surrounded Potter" Dolohov replied as he indicated a few others emerging all with singed robes.

"I think you will find Dolohov that he isn't" the voice of Moody cut in as he, Remus and Professor McGonagall entered and took a defensive stance around the teen.

"Mad-eye Moody" Dolohov intoned casually. "It's been a long time" he mused aloud.

"Aye" Moody agreed. "When Carrow there cursed me in the back while we were fighting" he spat angrily as he pointed to one of the other men.

"Doesn't he fuck his sister?" Remus asked causing Harry to splutter at the unusually crude language of the werewolf.

"Aye, that's what I heard" Moody chuckled gleefully as the man in question began shaking in rage.

"Fuck you half-breed" the man spat as he fired a curse towards Remus.

Moody immediately fired back and Harry sent several curses towards Malfoy as he tried to retreat once again.

Remus ended up battling with the short and ugly female that was definitely related to Carrow and McGonagall began dueling with Dolohov.

The fight on this front was coming to a conclusion; Harry just hoped that Sirius was fairing as well as he.

He saw that the griffins and Thestrals were still battling the remaining Death Eaters but noticed that the Dementors were now heading towards where the giants could still be seen.

A very powerful explosion was heard from the direction they were heading in and Harry just knew that he was needed there. He had a gut feeling and his gut had never let him down yet.

"Sirius" he whispered worriedly as he looked upon Malfoy.

He was torn between punishing the blonde and finding his godfather.

Making his mind up quickly he fired a string of curses at the man and knew he had landed a few at least and that the man was not for this world much longer.

He had to get to Sirius, that was what was most important to him now.

He used his wand to levitate himself and took control of the spell wandlessly, something he had witnessed his grandfather do in the pensieve many moons ago.

He used his wand to fire of a powerful stream of wind and aimed it behind him propelling him forward at great speed towards where he knew the man he sought would be.

To those on the battlefield it seemed as though Harry Potter was flying without a broom or any other magical aide. But to the teen himself, he knew that it was a combination of simple spells but he did now that it certainly looked impressive; there were very few who could even levitate a feather wandlessly, let alone their own body.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore watched in awe as the griffins and Thestrals arrived and made quick work of the trolls.

He shook himself from his thoughts and immediately began defending the group he was a part of from the Dementors along with Filius who, as usual, had been a phenomenon with his wand.

The Weasley's were all surrounding young Percival who had unfortunately fallen victim to a rather nasty curse that was causing the young man considerable pain.

Albus was aware that his healing ability was rather poor and knew that his patronus was needed to help keep the former guards of Azkaban at bay.

He watched as the creatures began to head in the direction that the giants were still attacking from and was about to follow when his eye was caught by a sight he certainly did not expect to see.

Harry Potter was flying across the village, actually flying towards where the Dementors were heading.

The headmaster shook his head again and decided that he would try to locate Minerva who he had last seen with Remus Lupin.

His attention was caught once more, this time by the sight of spell-fire taking place in the vicinity to his left.

On closer inspection he could see Remus Lupin along with Alastor fighting a few more recognizable Death Eaters than those they had encountered so far.

He looked again and blanched at what he saw.

Minerva was fighting Antonin Dolohov, a formidable man with his wand, certainly one of the most skilled Death Eaters in Tom's ranks.

The aged wizard charged towards the fight and cursed the anti-apparition wards that had been placed.

He was only 30 feet away from the conflict when he was stopped in his tracks by what he saw.

Dolohov fired a purple bolt from his wand and it caught the transfiguration professor flush in the chest. She fell soundlessly to the ground and did not move even an inch.

Dumbledore paled.

He was not aware of the curse he had seen but he knew that it must be very unpleasant to bring Minerva down so quickly.

He noted that Dolohov was laughing maniacally at his achievement and felt an influx of pure, unadulterated rage invade his body.

He began to shake uncontrollably as he stalked towards the still laughing man and leveled his wand in his direction.

"Oh Dumbles wants to play does he" Dolohov sneered as he fired off the same purple spell that had taken down Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore sidestepped the spell nimbly and fired off a blasting curse with all his might at the man.

Dolohov did not expect the leader of the light to fire such a curse and did not bother dodging having expected nothing more than a stunner from the man, as was his reputation. He was shocked however when he did recognize the spell but knew he did not have time to avoid it as it hurtled towards him with blistering speed.

He hurriedly erected a shield in an attempt to dampen the power of the curse but it simply was not enough.

Antonin Dolohov disappeared in a spray of red mist as he was reduced to nothing more than tiny fragments of flesh and bone.

Dumbledore balked at the effect his spell had had and the remaining Death Eaters froze in fear. They were dispatched by the members of the order they were fighting, who quickly gathered around their leader as he made his way to the fallen woman.

"Minerva?" he questioned desperately as he crouched beside her and attempted to gain some indication that she was alive.

"She's gone Albus" Moody said after a moment of observing the woman. "There's nothing you can do" he explained, placing a hand on the distraught man's shoulder.

"No" Dumbledore choked pleadingly. "Minerva" he begged as he took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

No matter how much he pleaded and begged his long-time friend was unresponsive. He knew that she was dead but he could not accept it, he wouldn't accept it.

He felt the first mournful tears escape his eyes as he clutched Minerva's hand, simply not being able to let go.

He felt a sudden warm weight land on his shoulder and looked to see to see that his familiar had arrived.

Fawkes began to sing a song in honour of the woman they had both become very fond of over the many decades they had shared together.

Albus just listened to the song as he held the hand of the woman and allowed the tears to continue to fall freely.

"Let's go" Moody ordered. "He will be ok" he assured Remus who was also weeping at the loss of his former professor.

The two were making their exit when they heard a cough sound from behind them. They turned to see a very sickly looking Lucius Malfoy sprawled on the ground, attempting to hide himself from view.

Moody approached him and chuckled darkly.

"You're dying" he stated simply. "One of Potter's curses" he added with a grin. "That will be very unpleasant" he concluded and removed the man's wand from his hand and snapped it in half. "Can't have you taking the easy way out can we" he finished and fired a bone-breaker at each of the man's legs eliciting a shrill scream for his effort.

He gave Malfoy a final smirk before leading Lupin away.

"He was already dead" he growled casually.

Remus just shrugged and followed the man.

The fighting on this side of the village had finished so the pair headed towards where spell-fire could bee seen further in front of them.

"Where's Harry?" emus suddenly asked worriedly.

"Saw the lad flying that way" Moody replied.

"Flying?" Remus spluttered.

"Aye" Moody confirmed. "I've learnt to just take what he does in my stride" he explained. "The lad is full of surprises, always" he finished with a shake of his head.

The pair began hurrying towards where they could see the fighting but paused suddenly as a large wall of flame formed around where there had been spells flying only moments ago.

They heard a series of loud screeches and saw the griffins that had attacked the trolls now attacking the giants, picking them apart with the help of spears and other lethal items being banished towards their foes.

"Looks like the main event has started" Moody growled pointing towards the fire. "Cursed fire" he grunted in explanation.

Remus looked towards the flames and noticed that they were not normal in a colour or appearance. They were mostly jet black and danced in a strangely enticing rhythm, not they way that regular flames were sporadic and unpredictable.

"What do we do?" he asked the grizzled auror who was adjusting his wooden leg.

"Let's head over" Moody instructed pointing towards the area that the flames had appeared in. "They might need us" he shrugged.

Remus nodded and again followed the man. He was keen to see for himself if Harry and Sirius were ok.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius and Gawain headed away from Harry and Moody in the direction that the giants had appeared. They could see four of the beasts and knew that one of them had fallen into one of the traps that he and Harry had created the night before.

"We should be able to lure three of them into the rest of the traps" Sirius explained. "That will leave only one we have to fight, we should be able to handle that" he added hopefully.

Gawain just nodded in reply.

He was not keen on the idea of fighting a giant but felt much safer in the presence of Sirius knowing that the man had experience battling them.

They reached their destination without being hindered much. There were bodies here and there of both enemies and allies alike but they ignored them for the time being, they had much more pressing issues to deal with.

"Start conjuring weapons, swords and spears" Sirius instructed to which Gawain immediately complied.

The marauder began banishing the conjured items towards one of the behemoths in an effort to gain its attention and it worked as intended.

A giant of close to 25 feet in height began lumbering towards the pair clumsily, roaring in anger and swinging a tree it had uprooted with the intention of pounding the duo into pulp.

"Black" Gawain called fearfully as the creature neared striking distance.

Sirius ignored the man and continued goading the monster.

"BLACK" Gawain screamed as the trunk whistled through the air in front of them.

The ground suddenly rumbled and the giant disappeared into a large pit.

There was a moment of utter silence before the air was ripped with a guttural shriek of pain emitting from the pit in which the creature had fallen down.

The screaming lasted only a moment and silence reigned in the pit once more as the giant perished.

"One more down" Sirius sighed as he released a long drawn out breath.

"You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack" Gawain responded weakly as he clutched his chest tightly.

"I knew what I was doing" Sirius replied though his voice was laced with uncertainty. "Come on, we have two more traps" he said as he began pulling the man towards their next location.

They managed to dispose of one more giant in a similar fashion before things took a turn for the worse.

"Dementors" Gawain muttered darkly as he felt the familiar cold and sense of dread set in.

"Fiendfyre" Sirius explained pointing to the other side of the village where the flames could be seen. "They obviously don't like it very much" he added thoughtfully.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ both men cast in unison.

Sirius's grim and Gawain's eagle patronus began guarding their casters, waiting for the creatures they defended against to come nearer.

They heard a series of screeches and saw a large amount of flying creatures diving into to attack the trolls they could still see in the distance.

"Are they griffins?" Gawain asked, clearly in shock.

"Harry's" Sirius answered with a grin.

Gawain shook his head.

"How the hell do you make friends with griffins?" he asked incredulously.

"Harry has some kind of gift with animals" Sirius replied with a shrug. "I guess he won them over, they live on his property" he explained to the confused man.

"Always full of surprises that one" the auror mused.

"You have no idea" Sirius chuckled.

 _(BREAK)_

The Dark Lord watched in fury as his inferi were reduced to ashes by the combined fiendfyre spells. He knew that there were very few people that could cast it with the level of control he was witnessing.

"Potter and Black" he growled angrily.

His rage only increased as he saw the arrival of the griffins and Thestrals. He watched in shock and concern as they tore through his ranks of trolls, vampires and werewolves as thought they were nothing. He had to admit that they were very impressive beasts.

"You are surprising Potter" he conceded bitterly.

He was pulled from his observations as he caught a glimpse of silvery light glistening in his peripheral vision to his left.

"Black" he gasped triumphantly as he made out the image of the grim.

He glanced at the other patronus he could see and knew that Potter's wasn't an eagle, he was sure that it was a stag as Pettigrew had pointed out helpfully.

The Dark Lord grinned evilly.

"You shouldn't have wandered off alone Black" he remarked happily as he made his way towards the area marked by the patronuses.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius and Gawain awaited the approach of the creatures whose presence had flooded every one of their senses. They shivered from the cold that had seeped in and tried to make small talk to ignore the terrible sounds each were hearing within their own minds as their worst memories replayed over and over again.

Gawain had felt safer in the presence of the marauder as they dealt with the giants but it was now certainly Sirius's turn to take comfort in the abilities of the other man.

Sirius detested the Azkaban guards above all else. He had spent 12 years in their company and they affected him much worse than the average witch or wizard, something he was crudely aware of. One did not become immune to their effects the more they were exposed to them. In fact, a hypersensitivity to them was the outcome of prolonged time with them and Sirius Black had had his share of time with the Dementors.

"They're getting closer" Gawain muttered uncomfortably.

Their patronuses were clearly under the same impression as they charged towards the cloaked creatures as they came into view around fifty metres away from the duo, causing them to shiver more violently.

Before Sirius could even attempt to focus on maintaining his spell a loud explosion rang out as he was ploughed into violently and found himself sprawled on to the ground under the weight of his companion.

"What the fuck" the marauder grumbled as he pushed the man off of him.

His eyes grew wide as he caught sight of the auror he had only just been speaking to.

Gawain Robards was dead.

His entire back was simply missing; all that remained was a large cavity in his torso that once housed his organs.

Sirius swallowed and looked at the man's face. There was no expression of pain or shock, it looked as impassive as ever.

He then realized that the cold he was feeling had only increased as his and Gawain's spells had failed and the Dementor's were drawing ever closer, but that was the least of his worries.

Approaching him with a maniacal grin was Voldemort, his wand drawn and looking like the predator he had always been seen as.

Sirius was relieved to find his wand was still in his hands and he stood to confront the man that had murdered his best friend.

"Mr. Black" Voldemort greeted him casually. "It seems as though your companion took the brunt of my spell" he said with a frown. "Shame" he added. "I'll just have to kill you another way" he finished with another grin.

Sirius laughed at the Dark Lord and shook his head.

"Fuck you Tom" he spat angrily. "You might kill me, but Harry is coming for you" he warned. "You have no idea what he will do to you" he concluded with a grin of his own.

The Dark Lord growled in anger and began firing spell after spell at the man that dared speak to him in such a way.

Sirius dodged and batted away the spells as best he could but he knew he was no match for the man.

He was very powerful, perhaps more so than his godson but the animagus doubted that Harry had ever fired a spell at him with his full power.

One thing he did notice that Harry was certainly faster than Tom, considerably faster if this was all that he had to offer.

A lull in the onslaught of spells came and Sirius noticed that the Dark Lord was looking at him critically.

"You have a lot of skill Mr. Black" Voldemort praised sincerely. "If you would have joined me you would be even better".

Sirius chuckled darkly.

"I wouldn't have joined you if you pissed whiskey and shit gold" he informed the man gleefully and fired of a blasting curse.

Voldemort erected a shield and felt himself pushed back a couple of feet by the power.

" _Avada Kedavra"_ he roared.

Before he could even consider conjuring a shield Sirius felt himself launched through air and he landed with a heavy thud on the ground.

He felt the coldness and despair of the Dementors recede as his vision returned to normal after his surprise banishment.

Turning to look for what had sent him on his way he spotted Harry landing on the ground in front of Voldemort who was looking very surprised by the younger man's arrival.

He could see the two talking but could not hear what was being said as he had been sent a considerable distance.

Harry suddenly waved his wand and a circle of black fire surrounded the two, blocking them from view.

"Fuck, no" Sirius cried desperately as he ran towards the flames and found himself bouncing off them time and time again.

He attempted to fire a few spells and found they did nothing but bounce off also.

All the marauder could do was wait and see what would happen.

He swallowed deeply and watched the flames intently, his attention not wavering, not even for a fleeting second.

 _(BREAK)_

Hermione came to as she felt herself being shaken violently.

It took her a moment to remember what happened and she groaned in pain as she felt the strain on her body while she attempted to sit.

"Hermione" a voice called desperately though it sounded partially muted.

"Hermione" the voice sounded again a little more clearly this time as she was shaken again.

"Neville?" she asked uncertainly as her vision began to right itself, much to her relief.

She saw the boy in front of her with congealed blood streaking across his face from a reasonably deep wound on the side of his head.

"We have to help Hannah" the boy choked emotionally. "She's not breathing" he explained frantically as he pointed to a body laying several feet away from them.

"What happened?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"I don't know, a blasting curse I think" he answered distractedly as he pulled his fellow Gryffindor to the side of their downed friend.

Hermione found her wand in her robes and began casting diagnostic charms on the girl.

She swallowed deeply in shock at the results.

"She's dead" she whispered and choked back a sob.

"No" Neville croaked disbelievingly. "She can't be, help her" he pleaded.

"I can't, Neville she's gone, her lungs and heart are ruined" she explained sadly.

Neville fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably as he clung to the girl and buried his face into her robes.

"What the damn hell are you doing here?" a voice growled angrily, interrupting the pair.

Hermione turned to see Mad-eye Moody and Remus Lupin stalking towards them looking furious.

"We were trying to help" Hermione choked.

"This isn't a place for kids you morons" Moody scolded them as he pulled a distraught Neville to his feet.

"Longbottom is it?" the head of the DMLE asked.

Neville just nodded mutely.

"How the hell were you planning on helping?" Moody questioned.

"Hannah and I have been practicing healing, Madame Pomfrey trained us" she explained.

"Come with us" Moody commanded with a frown. "The castle is locked down and you may actually be able to help if Pomfrey taught you" he conceded reluctantly.

Neville whimpered and refused to move.

"She's dead Longbottom" Moody stated dispassionately. "Don't let it be for nothing boy, make your trip out here count for something for her" he advised pointing to the blonde.

Neville sniffled and nodded.

Remus put an arm around him as they continued on their way.

"What is that?" Hermione asked pointed to the black flames as she spotted them.

"We are going to find out" Moody responded. "Stay close and if things go tits up, you run, got it?" he asked sternly.

The two students nodded readily.

They came upon the flames and Moody frowned at them uncertainly.

"Sirius" Remus called as he spotted his friend but the man did not respond. "Sirius" he called again loudly and grabbed the man and shook him as he reached where he was stood simply staring at the flames.

"Remus?" Sirius asked weakly and pulled the man into a tight hug.

"What is that" the werewolf asked pointing towards what he could see now was a circle of flames.

"Harry's in there with him, Harry conjured it" Sirius explained worriedly.

Remus's eyes went wide.

"Shit, why would he do that?" he asked.

"I don't know" Sirius answered honestly. "But if you saw him before we came you would swear he'd lost it, I could actually feel his anger Remus" he added, clearly concerned for his godson.

"Did you say Harry is in there?" Hermione questioned the marauder.

Sirius frowned at the girl but was stopped from questioning her when Remus cut in.

"They've already got it in the neck from Moody" Remus informed him.

"Good" Sirius intoned.

"What are these damned flames Sirius, and where's Gawain?" Moody broke in as he hobbled over.

"Gawain is dead" Sirius whispered.

"Shit" Moody sighed. "He was a damn good man" he added genuinely. "And the flames?" he repeated.

"Harry's in there with him" Remus answered.

Moody barked with laughter and pounded his wooden leg with his fist.

"Trapped the prick then" he growled happily. "Our resident Dark Lord has no idea what he's facing" he finished with a chuckle.

Moody noticed the looks of shock he was receiving and shook his head irritably.

"From what we've seen the lad is more than a match for the bastard" he explained confidently. "I doubt we've seen everything he's capable" he mused aloud as he took a seat and waited.

The small skirmishes had long since finished and all that was left was the conclusion of what was occurring within the flames.

After several minutes more and more people joined them and the media and even members of the public began to arrive in the village after word of the battle had clearly spread.

All eyes were on the flames. None could see in but they knew what was happening.

The wizarding world watched on tenterhooks and with baited breath for the conclusion of the day.

They could only hope that Harry Potter would emerge victorious, particularly those in the crowd that knew the young man personally.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry propelled himself towards where he had heard the explosion as quickly as his magic would allow him.

As he neared where he knew his godfather would be he shook himself as he felt the presence of the Dementors growing stronger but he persevered, knowing that he could fight the effects a little longer.

He blanched when he came upon the man he was looking for.

He was dueling Tom and though he was doing a rather good job at avoiding the spells that were sent at him Harry knew that Sirius would not last much longer, despite how good of a wizard and fighter he had become.

The young man smiled as he watched his godfather fire a blasting curse at Voldemort, forcing the man to conjure a hastily shield.

His pride in the man was short-lived however as he saw the telltale green jet of light indicating that Tom had fired a killing curse.

Thinking quickly he sent a powerful banishing charm at Sirius and breathed a sigh of relief as the curse missed him and impacted against a nearby building.

" _Expecto Patronum" ,_ he muttered sending the inbound Dementors scarpering as Druella flew towards them.

Harry noticed the look of surprise that Tom wore as he noticed him flying towards him.

The shock was evidently enough to prevent the Dark Lord from firing any spells or curses at the airborne teen.

Harry took his opportunity and landed in front of the man.

"You've taken enough people from me Tom" he growled angrily as he felt the same fury course through his body that he had felt that morning causing his eyes to pulse eerily once again.

"Potter" Voldemort spat simply. "You and your allies have fought amiably, but we both know you are no match for me" he added confidently.

Harry grinned maniacally.

"I can smell the fear on you Tom, believe me, I am going to cause you more pain than you can imagine" he promised.

"I do not fear you Potter" the Dark Lord denied angrily.

He smirked as he absorbed the rest of what Harry had said.

"Dear, dear Harry, you haven't turned dark have you?" he asked mockingly.

"No" Harry replied casually. "But I doubt anyone would approve of what I am going to do to you, but let's keep that between us shall we Tom, you deserve a special kind of justice after all" he finished with a feral grin.

He waved his wand and conjured a circle of black flames around the duo, hiding them from view.

The world around them fell dead silent. There was no screeching from the griffins or screams of pain from the injured and dying. The only thing that could be heard was the gentle crackling of the conjured flames.

"What is this? Voldemort asked angrily.

"Just something that will ensure our privacy" Harry answered casually. "No more running Tom" he added seriously. "This ends now" he growled as he fired a particularly dark cutting curse, that would cut into the bone and sear the flesh and muscle around it at the man who side stepped it warily.

"Impressive" Riddle conceded. "You must have dug quite deeply to find that one" he acknowledged with a nod. "But not good enough" he roared as he fired a string of curses towards Harry.

Harry recognized a blood-boiling curse, an entrail-expulsion curse and a heart-stopping hex. He dodged the first two and batted the other back towards Tom who dodged it nimbly.

"Not impressed" Harry shrugged as he slashed his wand through the air quickly launching a purple bolt in Tom's direction.

He saw a look of surprise cross Tom's face before he quickly conjured a large silver dome around himself, which absorbed the spell, much to his relief.

"One of Antonin's favourites" Voldemort observed. "A very dangerous spell to play with Harry" he warned as he shot the same spell back at the teen who conjured the same shield he had just witnessed to prevent the curse from hitting him.

Harry growled angrily and began firing curses at will towards his foe who followed suit.

The two men danced around shooting an array of lethal hexes, jinxes and curses at one another, dodging, shielding and batting them away when necessary.

The time for talking was well and truly over, for now.

They pushed each other to the best of their abilities and soon found themselves in a stalemate, a fight between equals as Tom expected from what the prophecy had stated.

Each man was certainly impressed by the skill that each other was showing, though they both expected the fight of a lifetime from the other.

Harry began shooting off some of the more obscure spells that he had been learning from his Grandfather's collection and was pleased to see a look of concern cross Tom's face as he clearly did not recognize them.

Tom dodged the spells he did not recognize. He may not know what they were but he knew that they were intended to kill or maim. He could feel the power the younger man possessed and began to worry to at the unrecognizable spells that were coming at him thick and fast.

He grew weary of the attritional fight he found himself in and decided to fight with the curses that had not failed him yet.

He began firing killing curses as quickly as he could. They were tiring but he knew the fight would be over if only he could catch the nimble younger wizard.

Harry began conjuring granite slabs and blocking the killing curses, he knew that Riddle was getting desperate if he was resorting to only firing them.

He paused to fire a powerful bone-breaker, only to realize that he had made a mistake by pausing in his movement.

" _Crucio"_ the Dark Lord roared triumphantly as he saw Potter pause to fire his spell.

He wasn't particularly keen on prolonging the fight with the cruciatus curse but the incantation was much shorter and it would incapacitate the teen so he could be finished at will.

Harry collapsed as sheer agony ignited throughout every nerve ending in his body but was surprised to only feel it for a split second.

He heard Tom scream in pain as his own curse impacted, it did not deter the Dark Lord though.

Without missing a beat he fired off two cutting hexes in quick succession catching the teen on the thigh flush and glancing his face as he turned to avoid it.

Harry hissed in pain as the curse struck his thigh and quickly turned his face as he spied another heading towards it. He felt it brush against his cheek, opening another wound but breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was only a flesh wound.

He rolled backwards to his feet and grinned evilly when he saw that Tom's left arm had been mangled by his spell, rendering it useless.

Harry was impressed by the pain threshold of the Dark Lord, that amount of damage would usually incapacitate someone. He grudgingly gave the man some respect for his determination.

He quickly healed the cut on his leg knowing that he was losing a considerable amount of blood from it. It wouldn't do to become weak due to blood loss.

"You've fought well Harry" Voldemort praised pulling Harry from his observations of his injuries. "But surely you can see that we are evenly matched" he added with a mocking sigh. "The prophecy even said so" he pointed out. "But if you continue to fight then we will both die, and you know as well as I do that I will be back" he finished smugly.

Harry chuckled.

"The prophecy said you would mark me as an equal, it doesn't mean that it would always be that way" he responded.

He had listened to it a few days prior to the battle. He refused to take any chances when it came to Riddle, even if he did despise the subject of Divination.

"And you are referring to your Horcruxes?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I admit that you did well locating most of them" Voldemort ground out. "But you didn't get them all" he continued with a smirk.

"Ahh you mean your snake" Harry returned with a smirk of his own and was both pleased and relieved by the jaw of the Dark Lord becoming agape in shock. "She is being dealt with as we speak" Harry informed him casually.

"You lie" Tom spat furiously. "She is protected by my most trusted".

"Bellatrix?" Harry questioned. "She definitely isn't your most loyal" he mused aloud. "What's wrong Tom, scared?" he finished mockingly.

"You've already proven you can't beat me Harry" Voldemort replied exasperatedly. "I've seen your best and it is lacking" he concluded.

Harry smirked dangerously.

"You've seen nothing yet Tom" he replied with a dangerous grin as he drew his second wand.

Voldemort's eyes grew wide with shock and concern. He had heard of those that could use two wands but it took a lot of practice and he had never encountered one as powerful as Potter that had the ability to do it.

He himself had never bothered after Dumbledore had refused to give him another feather from his phoenix for a second wand.

He had tried several others but none were as good as his own so he abandoned it knowing that it was a very rare skill indeed and it was unlikely that any who could use two wands would be a threat to him.

Now, he wasn't so sure as he watched Potter twirling both wands equally well in both hands.

The Dark Lord swallowed deeply and braced himself. He knew that it was more tiring to use two wands in a fight but he had already been struggling thus far against the younger man and he himself was feeling fatigued by his exertions.

'I need to allow him to tire himself out' he thought desperately.

He managed to erect his golden mage shield in the nick of time and the various curses Potter fired at him reverberated against it, pushing him back violently against the wall of flames that he simply bounced off.

Harry gritted his teeth firmly and braced himself as he began hurling rapid and powerful bludgeoners, bone-breakers and blasting curses from each wand in a dangerous rhythm at the shielding in an effort to break it.

His efforts were rewarded after a few moments as he began to see it flicker and weaken under the strain of his onslaught.

The Dark Lord dug as deeply as he ever had into his magic but knew that it would not be enough.

He felt himself growing weaker and caught sight of the triumphant smile the boy wore as his shield turned translucent as it began to fail him.

He felt the panic rise within him and threw himself to the ground in a final bid of desperation causing his shield to collapse.

Although he had thrown himself as clear as possible from the spells of the path, it wasn't enough. No sooner had he landed that he felt the first curses impact against him and his body erupted into agony.

The spells stopped and he found himself shaking uncontrollably as the adrenaline and endorphins attempted to stave off the pain he was experiencing.

He took stock of his body and knew immediately that many of his bones were broken, he simply could not move.

He saw that his wand arm was nothing but a useless lump of flesh and crushed bone. His wand hung limply in his hand and no matter how much he willed the appendage to move, it wouldn't.

He caught sight of his leg and realized that is was several feet from his body, removed by a blasting curse though it was probably the least amount of pain he was feeling.

He knew he was defeated and he only hoped that Potter was bluffing about the fate of his beloved familiar.

Harry stepped towards the downed body of the Dark Lord cautiously. He could see that he had been mangled and even partially dismembered but he knew that the man was still dangerous.

He saw that he was still in possession of his wand though, by the state of his arm, it was unlikely that he would be able to use it.

He summoned and pocketed it with a shudder as thoughts of the amount of murder and torture it had been used for played around in his mind.

He shook his head from the disturbing images and approached the pitiful sight before him.

"You fucked up when you attacked my family" he stated darkly. "You really shouldn't have come for me Tom" he added. "Now you will suffer for what you put me through, all I wanted was a normal life but you couldn't just allow it could you" he spat bitterly.

Riddle said nothing but stared at him with complete hatred in his eyes.

"I said to you the night in the graveyard that one day you will be on the other end of the wand that will decide your fate, do you remember? Harry asked angrily.

Still Tom said nothing.

"I also remember saying that I hope that they show you the same mercy you have shown all of those you tortured and murdered" he continued. "I'm glad it's me that's here" he added. "Now you will suffer Tom, the next few minutes are going to be very unpleasant for you" he concluded as he began twirling his wand in an intricate pattern while mumbling.

After a moment Tom felt his whole body erupt in a type of pain he had never even comprehended could exist.

It felt as though his insides were on fire, yet there were no flames. It felt as though he was being stabbed, yet there was no blades entering or exiting his body. And it felt like his skin was being stripped away from him in chunks, but it remained on him.

He held on as long as he could but began screaming as the pain become worse the longer the curse was coursing through him.

"You said once that we were similar" Harry began speaking again when he knew the curse was doing its work. "You were right" he admitted reluctantly. "Both orphans, both raised in shitholes by bastards and both having Hogwarts as our first home" he reeled off as he paced. "But that is as far as it goes" he continued after a moment. "I wouldn't kill an innocent person and I wouldn't torture someone for fun" he explained. "This" he said indicating to the Dark Lord himself, "is justice, you reap what you sow Tom and you deserve every single moment of this and more" he spat angrily. "But I am nothing like you" he finished flicking his wand towards the throat of Voldemort and severing the head away from the body.

He placed his second wand back in its leg holster, he didn't want the world knowing what he was capable of after all and burnt the remains of Tom's body minus the head which he picked up with a grimace and walked towards the black flame wall to begin undoing the spell.

If Bellatrix had been successful then the war was finally over and Harry Potter could finally have the peace he had sought for so long.

 _(BREAK)_

Bellatrix Black had been waiting nervously for an inordinate amount of time for some kind of signal on what she should do.

She did not want to simply just kill the snake on the chance that the Dark Lord was successful. He would simply kill her if things did not go as planned and he returned to find that she had destroyed what she had been tasked to guard.

The woman was not ashamed to admit that she was terrified.

The snake watched her as she paced backwards and forwards from one side of the room to the other.

The task itself was not particularly difficult but she was very aware that it was the most important one that had been set for her in her life by both factions of the war.

She could just as easily carry out the instructions the Dark Lord had given her but she knew that her life would be forfeited for a fact.

If she sided with Potter then he would be true to his word and ensure that she would get a cell without Dementors lurking in the corridor and with any luck some real food.

She stopped her pacing suddenly as the snake began thrashing violently on the floor.

She tentatively drew the dagger she had liberated from the Black vault many years before and made her way slowly to the flailing creature.

She watched in fascination at he threw itself to and fro in obvious pain and discomfort.

She readied herself and launched into her attack. She drove the dagger with all her might into the snake's head, eliciting a screech of pain from the beast and more violent thrashing that sent the woman flying and crashing into the wall.

After catching her bearings she saw a deep black oily substance leaking from the wound she had inflicted while the snake continued to scream in agony, but the animal was not finished yet.

Once the oily substance had stopped flowing the snake turned towards her and struck, sinking its venomous fangs into her shoulder repeatedly.

Bellatrix fought back as best she could by stabbing the reptile time and time again with the dagger and just when she thought she had nothing left, the creature fell limp.

Bellatrix was in a very bad way. She had several puncture wounds spread about her body and she was already feeling weak from the effects of the toxins.

She began to breathe heavily and knew she needed help. She quickly activated the portkey that would take her to Potter and hoped that he was in a position where he could save her.

She wasn't ready to die yet, not when life was about to get much easier for her.

 _(BREAK)_

The crowd gathered in Hogsmeade had been watching the odd black fire mostly in an anticipatory silence that was only broken by the clicking of cameras from the journalists and the occasional speculative whisper by those predicting the outcome of the fight taking place. Many were torn between disappoint and relief that were not having to witness the event which they knew would be nothing short of brutal and ferocious, thought they knew it would be an incredible display of magic.

Sirius, Moody and Remus had been joined by: the Weasley's, Tonks' and the remaining members of the order.

Percy had sadly perished from his wounds despite the effort his family had made to save him, though the redhead had died with a smile on his face as he had been surrounded by his father and most of his brothers. His final words had been spent declaring his intentions to watch over his mother and sister for them until they would all be untied together again.

Tonks was rather subdued as Kingsley hadn't made it but had prevented many more lives being lost as he had single handedly fought and defeated Jugson, Selwyn and Macnair after they had tried to ambush her group as they were fighting off the Dementors and the trolls. He had been gravely injured but managed to finish off the trio of men despite this. She certainly would never forget the dark skinned man that had taken her under his wing on her first day in the academy.

Albus Dumbledore made his way through the crowd to those he had led, his expression nothing short of heartbroken. He had prepared Minerva's body in a way he knew she would approve and had had transport her into her private quarters so that he could bury his friend later to her requests.

He wanted nothing more than to be alone but he had to see this through to the end and ensure that Tom was killed. If Harry hadn't succeeded in his efforts then he prayed that Tom had been weakened enough for himself or someone else to finish him.

'Probably Sirius' he mused spying the man who already had his wand in hand.

He joined his friends but said nothing; he simply watched and waited along with them. He had already deduced that Tom and Harry were within the flames and that there was nothing else he could do.

Sirius gasped as the flames began to flicker and fade. They suddenly collapsed leaving only a thick cloud of smoke in their wake and he swallowed deeply as he raised his wand, followed by Moody, Dumbledore and Remus.

What they saw emerge left them all feeling relieved and nauseous.

Harry Potter limped out of the smog covered completely in both fresh and congealed blood. His glowing green eyes stood out above it all; the young man looked completely sinister as he clutched the head of Lord Voldemort under his arm.

"Harry" Sirius choked as he stepped forward to greet his victorious godson.

He only made it a couple of paces however when an enormous golden griffin landed in front of him and screeched threateningly. The beast was joined by a Thestral that simply glared dangerously at the crowd who all stepped back from the threat of the beasts.

Harry stepped in front of his friends and deposited the head to the ground, quickly pulling both the griffin and Thestral into a hug as best he could.

"You guys were amazing" he whispered. "Why don't you head home and I will see you there" he suggested.

The griffin screeched gently and continued to eye the crowd and nodded sharply in their direction causing Harry to chuckle.

"I'll be fine, I promise" he said softly in an attempt to placate the irritable creature.

The griffin screeched again and rubbed his head against the teens face affectionately before screeching loudly one final time causing the rest of his group and the Thestrals that had accompanied them to take flight and make their way back to Potter Manor.

The gathered witches and wizards watched in awe as the young man spoke with the animals. None had ever seen a griffin before and had only heard that they were exceedingly dangerous.

Harry turned to face his godfather who pulled him into a hug and cried into his shoulder, clinging to the young man.

Harry wrapped his arms around the man and shook his head amusedly.

"You do realize there are cameras" he whispered .

"Don't care" Sirius mumbled.

He eventually extracted himself away from his godson and looked him over critically.

"Are you hurt?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine" Harry assured the man.

He felt a heavy hand clap him on the shoulder and turned to see Moody grinning at him.

"Got him then" he growled as he nudged the head with his foot.

Harry just nodded.

"Good lad" Moody praised. "What are you all standing there gawping for?" he questioned the crowd angrily. "We have a hell of a mess to clean up and you've all just been drafted" he added with a smirk.

That seemed to snap the crowd out of their awestruck state.

"Lord Potter" a voice called and Harry turned towards it to find himself faced with a dozen journalists, clearly waiting for a story.

He just raised an eyebrow at the familiar site of Rita Skeeter.

"What happened in there?" she asked with a predatory grin.

"What happened in there is between myself and Tom Riddle, you certainly will get no explanation from me" he answered coldly. "All that matters is that he is dead and he will not be coming back this time, that is all you need to know" he finished sternly.

"The wizarding world has a right to know" Skeeter tried again receiving several nods from her colleagues.

"And I have the right to some peace" Harry ground out. "I will not be answering questions about this" he added shaking his head. "You will respect my wishes" he demanded.

"Did you use dark magic to defeat him?" Rita pushed a little further.

"Would you like to find out?" Harry growled angrily at the woman who blanched as she saw him fingering his wand.

"That is enough" the voice of Amelia Bones cut in furiously. "You will all leave Lord Potter alone" she commanded. "He has the right to privacy as he pointed out, and he will have it".

"Thank you Madame Bones" Harry said gratefully.

"Now I believe Alastor Moody requires help" she addressed the crowd. "It is now time for us to pull together and help one another out, let's get to it" she instructed with a clap of her hands.

Those in attendance grumbled but obliged and began making their way to be given a job to do.

Harry sighed and began making his way to Dumbledore along with Sirius and Remus when a heavily bloodied body landed in front of him.

"Shit, Bellatrix" Harry exclaimed in recognition as he bent down to check on the state of the woman. "I need a healer" he called desperately.

"All the healers are busy" Remus said in disbelief seeing Harry attending to Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Time to shine Granger" Moody growled as he pushed the girl forward.

Hermione swallowed and made her way over to her friend and the deranged woman.

She began casting diagnostic charms while giving the woman a confused look.

"She's poisoned, and lost too much blood, blood replenishers won't be enough" she sighed.

"Fuck" Harry growled.

"I got her Potter" Bellatrix said weakly. "She's dead".

"Then you did good" Harry praised.

"There may be a way to save her" Hermione piped up uncertainly.

"Then do it" Harry commanded.

"It's risky" Hermione explained. "We need two people who share her blood, one won't be enough they would die from the blood loss" she added shaking her head.

"Sirius and I can do it" Harry responded quickly. "We both have Black blood".

Hermione sighed and began conjuring tubes and some pumping equipment.

"Blood transfusion, but I don't know how it will work with magical blood" she warned.

"Looks like we will find out" Harry sighed as he rolled up his sleeve.

Sirius followed his lead and Hermione began setting up the equipment. She placed the needles into each of their veins and began the process.

"You better have a good explanation for this Potter" Moody stated with a glare.

"If it wasn't for her then this wouldn't be over" he answered simply.

"Your informant?" Moody questioned with a frown.

Harry nodded.

"Damn" Moody growled. "I won't question it" he added. "You've proven that I can trust you lad, I'll take your word for it" he concluded showing some confidence in the teen.

"Thank you" Harry replied sincerely.

"She will be coming into custody though" the head of the DMLE warned.

"She already knows that" Harry answered.

"Lestrange" Neville spat angrily as he drew his wand and aimed it at the woman.

"I wouldn't do that Neville" Harry warned seriously.

"She's the reason I have no parents" the boy gritted out.

"If you want your revenge then you can challenge her to a duel but you won't attack her when she can't defend herself" Harry responded with a glare. "If you try then it is my duty as her head of house to defend her, don't make me do that Neville, she will pay for her crimes" he promised.

Neville was clearly torn but after considering his options for a moment he placed his wand back in his pocket. He certainly did not want to fight Harry and he knew that his friend must have a reason to be keeping her alive.

"She's starting to stabilize" Hermione announced, surprised. "It's working" she added disbelievingly. "She will still need to go to St. Mungo's though".

Harry nodded and felt a wave of relief wash over him.

'I hope you appreciate this Arcturus' he thought as he shook his head.

"Ok, she's ready to be taken now" Hermione explained as she finished sealing the last of the puncture marks. "I've done everything I can".

"Ever the genius Hermione" Harry said with a smile as he pulled her friend into a hug.

"We all mistakes Harry" Hermione replied sadly, thinking of her Hufflepuff friend that had been killed.

"But we learn from then" Harry returned seriously to which Hermione nodded. "Tonks" Harry called.

The metamorph stepped forward and eyed her aunt warily.

"Take her to St. Mungos and stay with her, I will explain everything later" he promised.

Tonks looked towards Moody who nodded.

"Aye lass, do as he says" her boss instructed.

Tonks took hold of her aunt's hand and portkeyed away.

Harry breathed another sigh of relief.

"Who did we lose?" he asked worriedly.

"Percy" Charlie answered with a choke.

"I'm sorry" Harry intoned sincerely.

The Weasley's had now lost 3 members of their family to this conflict.

"Gawain" Sirius cut in.

"Shit" Harry grumbled as he pulled his hand through his hair.

Over the past few months he had grown to both like and respect the head auror. He had a very dry sense of humour and was very gifted with his wand. He would certainly miss the man.

"Minerva" Dumbledore sighed sadly.

Harry felt a lump form in his throat at the last name. Professor McGonagall had always had his respect. Although she was a stern and fearsome woman there was always a warmth around the transfiguration professor.

Before Harry could express his sorrow, Dumbledore spoke again.

"How about we go and get cleaned up" he suggested. "I'm sure there is a certain young lady waiting to see you" he added to Harry.

"Daphne" Harry whispered in realization and nodded to the headmaster who began leading the way, followed by the teen and the rest of the order.

"You may want to clean yourself up a little pup" Sirius advised. "You look completely deranged with all that blood on you".

Harry began removing as much from his skin as he possibly could; he knew it wouldn't come out of the very torn clothes he was wearing so left them as they were. He would send for Elgar to bring him some when he got the chance.

 _(BREAK)_

The atmosphere in the Great Hall was one of complete tension, felt by everyone assembled in the room.

They had listened intently to the explosions they could hear from within the castle along with the occasional earsplitting screams that permeated throughout the room.

But the sounds of battle had finished quite some time ago and now the occupants of Hogwarts were simply waiting for word on the outcome.

Several voices suddenly became audible from outside the hall and the students and staff alike stiffened, some drawing their wands ready to defend themselves.

The door opened to reveal a very tired looking Albus Dumbledore and a sigh of relief escaped many at the sight of the man.

The headmaster was followed by a limping and blood clad Harry Potter, his green eyes glowing in their usual fashion.

Harry had barely crossed the threshold when he heard his name shouted and a blonde blur ploughed into him and began crying into his chest in relief and happiness.

"I'm ok" Harry assured Daphne has he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him.

Sirius followed his godson into the room and was accosted in a similar fashion.

"Dad" Natalie cried as she fell into him.

Sirius immediately bent down and hugged the girl, fighting back the tears that were forming in his eyes. This was the first time she had called him that and it filled him with a tingling sensation.

"Not princess this time then?" he asked with a watery laugh.

Natalie just shook her head firmly and held the man tighter.

"Albus?" Professor Sprout questioned worriedly.

Dumbledore shook his head and made his way to the podium in front of the staff table. He looked around and sighed before he addressed the room.

"Lord Voldemort has been defeated" he informed them.

A loud cheer erupted within the room but Dumbledore held up his hands to gain their attention once more.

"This war has been costly" he began again. "We lost many good men and women today and one student" he explained sadly. "Let this be a lesson to you all that war is neither fun nor glorious" he continued firmly.

"Which student did we lose?" Slughorn asked with a swallow.

"Hannah Abbott" Dumbledore answered with a sigh.

Susan Bones and many of her housemates began to sob at the news.

"Where is Minerva?" Sprout questioned.

Dumbledore choked back his emotion, he would have time to mourn later.

"She didn't make it" Flitwick cut in, seeing that the headmaster was having a difficult moment and could not answer.

"Oh no" Sprout gasped, covering her hand with her mouth.

Dumbledore released a deep breath before he addressed the room again.

"We largely have Harry Potter and Sirius Black to thank for todays victory" he explained with a nod towards the duo. "Not only were they both vital personally in battle but they helped prepare our forces to the best of their ability with the help of Alastor Moody and Gawain Robards who sadly did not survive today" he said gravely. "Had these men not prepared and fought so diligently we would certainly have lost more people and perhaps even lost the war" he added genuinely. "I will of course keep you all updated with any relevant information" he finished as he stepped away and exited the hall.

Harry watched the man leave and saw the lost expression he war.

"I'll be back soon" he promised Daphne who nodded her understanding.

Sirius made to follow also but Harry stopped him with a shake of his head.

"Take Natalie and let your wife know you're ok, we can catch up later" he said to the man who nodded and took his daughter as he left the castle.

Harry left the hall to find the headmaster.

Most seemed content to leave the man to his own devices but Harry wasn't. He wanted to be there for the man if he needed him in any way.

To many, Albus Dumbledore was untouchable and unshakable. Harry however had seen the vulnerability of the man and saw him simply as a human being, a unique one of course; but human nonetheless.

 _(BREAK)_

Sirius arrived home along with Natalie to find his wife in tears and distraught in the kitchen.

As the pair entered Marlene stood from the chair she was sat in and just stared at her husband as though she was trying to decide if he was really there or not.

"You made it" she whimpered as a fresh stream of tears made their way down her cheeks.

"I did" Sirius choked with a nod. "It's over" he sobbed as he pulled his wife and daughter into his arms and held them, simply savouring the moment.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry made his way through the castle, heading for the headmaster's office.

He reached the stone gargoyle and sighed as he realised he didn't know the password.

"Could you just let me pass?" he asked the statue that just remained idle.

"Young man" a voice called.

Harry turned to see a portrait looking at him intently.

"You will find the headmaster in the deputies office" the painting informed him.

"Thank you" Harry replied gratefully and made his way to McGonagall's office, somewhere he used to fear being summoned to.

He came upon the room to find Dumbledore stood in the middle of it and simply staring around.

Harry placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder to get his attention.

Dumbledore jumped at the contact bus visibly relaxed when he caught sight of the teen.

"Should you not be celebrating Harry?" he asked with a light frown.

Harry shook his head.

"I'll leave that to those that don't have blood on their hands" he answered. "I won't celebrate death and violence when I was a part of it".

"As always you show wisdom beyond your years" Dumbledore praised, inclining his head towards the teen.

"I like to think I've surrounded myself with wise people sir" Harry responded sincerely.

Dumbledore just smiled sadly and continued his observations of the room.

"This place won't be the same without her" Harry spoke after a few moments.

"Indeed" Dumbledore answered. "She is just as much a part of this castle as I am and I will miss her dearly" the old man admitted. "It is a shame that you only got to know her as a professor Harry, she was a remarkable a woman" he added with a sigh.

"I'm sure she was" Harry responded. "And I'm sure she would give you a dressing down if she saw you moping" he finished with a raised eyebrow.

"That she would" Dumbledore chuckled. "Though I find it difficult to simply move on".

"And you don't have to" Harry returned. "Those we lose are always with us and waiting for us when it is our turn in the next great adventure" he explained with a grin.

"Ahh, using my own words against me, touché Harry" Dumbledore acknowledged. "Did you ever get to taste one of Minerva's ginger newts? The headmaster asked.

"I don't think I ever had the pleasure" Harry answered.

"They are rather delicious" the old man intoned as he retrieved a tartan tin from the shelf behind the desk. "She would be most upset if these went to waste" he added offering the open tin to the younger man.

Harry took one and smiled at it.

"I think we will need some tea with these sir" he suggested.

"You would be right" Dumbledore acquiesced with a nod.

"Elgar" Harry called. "Could you bring myself and Professor Dumbledore some tea and some clothes for me?" he asked.

"Of course Master Harry" the elf replied, clearly pleased to see his master had survived the battle.

The two men sat in silence for some time while they drank the tea and ate the biscuits.

"War is too costly" Dumbledore sighed exasperatedly.

"It is" Harry agreed. "Not only to those that die but to us that are forced to take lives and continue living when it is done" he added.

"A burden that we must carry as unfortunate as it is, I myself took a life today, and not by accident" Dumbledore admitted bitterly.

"Do you see me as a bad person sir?" Harry questioned the man.

"No Harry, I see you as one of the greatest men I have ever met" Dumbledore said without hesitation.

"Then you should not see yourself that way" Harry returned firmly. "If you can justify what you did and you know that it was the right thing to do in the moment, then you did the right thing, do not feel guilty for those that force our hands" he finished.

Dumbledore nodded reluctantly.

"I am here for you sir" Harry said softly placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "People see us as invincible when we probably feel more pain and carry more burdens than any of them, we all need someone sir, even the great Albus Dumbledore" he concluded with a soft smile.

"Thank you Harry, I may take you up on that offer of help" he chuckled warningly.

"Anything you need sir" Harry reaffirmed sincerely.

"You're a good man Harry, a much stronger one than myself and I am grateful for your friendship, truly" the headmaster explained genuinely. "But you should not be here with me right now, I will be fine, I just need some time to let it all sink in. Go and enjoy some of the peace you have fought so hard for, I imagine it will be disturbed before you are ready" he warned.

Harry nodded and left the man to his thoughts.

He had no doubt that Dumbledore was right. Though he wished for nothing more than peace, he knew there was still much more to do before he could have it.

 **A/N**

 **The longest one yet pheww! There is only one more to go and then the epilogue. I am currently editing all of the previous chapters and they will all be reposted before the epilogue is so I apologise in advance for emails you get about updates etc.**

 **Follow, Fave and Review. (I also recommend following me so you get updates from any other new stories I post, there will be at least one more but my brain is full of more unique ideas just itching to be written.**

 **TBR**


	20. The Pursuit of Peace (Epilogue)

**A/N**

 **I just want to thank you all for sharing this journey with me. It has been a hell of a trip for myself as I usually write poetry and short stories. I never even imagined that this would be as popular as it has become and for that I am grateful to you all. I was initially going to write one more chapter and then an epilogue but it felt unnecessary as most of it would have been drivel and pointless. If you feel that I have missed anything important or would like particular scenes to be written I will do it if the idea is popular enough and post it as a companion to this. It is with a mixture of relief and sadness that I give you the epilogue to this and may even post a little teaser to my next story at the end.**

 **Again I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your guidance and kind words throughout this, so for the final time here is the last installment of 'Honour Thy Blood'.**

 **TBR**

 **P.S The first 12 chapters have been edited for readability and any errors I may have made.**

Chapter 20: The Pursuit of Peace

Harry Potter was stood on platform 9 ¾ along with Sirius, Marlene and the Greengrass parents awaiting the arrival of the Hogwarts express that was to bring the students home for the summer holidays.

The past few months had been rather strange in many ways for the teen. Things had certainly changed in the wizarding world with the fall of Tom Riddle, mostly for the better overall.

There were many things that had irked Harry since the battle of Hogsmeade, but he had expected it to an extent. He had not however expected things to change so drastically so quickly for himself.

There were things he managed to take in his stride; the continuous congratulations of the public and words of support and gratitude falling into that category predominantly. Though it did get bothersome after a while, particularly when he merely wanted to do some shopping or have a little time away from one of his homes. He did remain patient with the members of the public and found that he did appreciate the praise even though it would be much preferable for them to not be so keen on vocalizing it so loudly and often. He had after all only done what he knew was right and what he had to do and not for the glory and praise he was receiving.

The thing that had plagued him the most was the media that became incessant with their questioning and requests for interviews, which he always refused. He had been firm with the fact that he would not discuss anything pertaining to the war with them, yet, they continually insisted. Even though Amelia Bones herself had ordered them to leave him alone, there was no law to prevent the hounding he received, though the auror's were quick to come to his aide in public to disperse the annoyance.

This had been one of the reasons he had chosen to remain in one of his houses for the most part, the other reason he had chosen to isolate himself had come from something he had not been expecting but probably should have on reflection.

Ever since the conclusion of the war he had been on the receiving end of many offers, some flattering but most quite disconcerting. There had been offers of product endorsements from more companies than he could count, these he had found flattering in some cases it was the other types of offers he was receiving that did not sit well with him.

The first had been an offer from Teen Witch Weekly for him to pose in the magazine, something he refused to do, without any form of compromise. He remembered the article they had written about him only too well and it simply appealed to him in no way. Not only would Daphne have strung him up if he had even considered it but the ribbing he would undoubtedly get from his Godfather would have been unbearable and never-ending.

Offers such as this coupled with the seemingly endless marriage contracts he had received had made the young man very reluctant to even leave his home until everything blew over and he could walk the streets without being accosted in some way.

There was one offer that he did receive that he had been honoured to accept and this one arrived a few weeks after the battle had taken place.

 _FLASHBACK_

Harry had just managed to escape from a trip to Diagon Alley that had ended up with him being cornered by members of the public who wanted to congratulate him and offer him their gratitude for what he had done for them, something he would never get used to. He had merely ventured out to buy some new clothes to train in, something that had been so ingrained into him so deeply that he opted to continue with it. It was after all something he enjoyed and did not want to quit knowing that at any time he may need to call upon it for some reason or other. He had learnt from his life that it was always best to be prepared for anything.

He entered the drawing room and sighed as he looked upon the mountain of mail he had received that very morning. He had put Elgar in charge of dealing with it, he himself not being able to face the task anymore. The elf insisted that he quite enjoyed the job and had developed a system of screening the letters and arranging them into piles based on what they were.

The fan mail was placed in one pile, a very large pile at that. The next was professional correspondence, endorsements, marriage contracts and such. The final pile was personal mail from Gringotts and any other official documentation etc. This was by far the smallest pile and would not often have anything in it. Today was different however; there were two letters for him.

The first was his monthly statement from Barchoke which Harry glanced over, confident that the goblin was investing and continuously making money for both the Potter and the Black families.

The second letter made him frown in confusion. It was from the Wizengamot but had another gold seal next to it, which he recognized as belonging to the ICW. He opened the letter and his eyebrows rose in complete shock by the contents.

 _To Lord Harry James Potter,_

 _It is both my honour and duty to inform you that you are to be awarded the title of Baron in the wizarding world, the most prestigious title attainable. We have chosen to bestow you with this award for you continual efforts and success at keeping the Wizarding population of Britain safe, most recently with your defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort._

 _I congratulate you most sincerely on your ascension to such a position and look forward to attending the ceremony._

 _In addition to this you are to be awarded the Order of Merlin 1_ _st_ _Class by Wizarding Britain for your efforts. Once again I offer you my congratulations._

 _Please find enclosed a list of other awards being bestowed at the same ceremony._

 _The warmest of regards,_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

 _British Representative of the International Confederation of Warlocks_

 _Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot_

 _List of awards and recipients_

 _Title of Baron_

 _Lord Harry James Potter_

 _Sirius Orion Black_

 _Ascension to Lordship_

 _Alastor Moody_

 _Order of Merlin_

 _Lord Harry James Potter (1_ _st_ _class)_

 _Sirius Orion Black (1_ _st_ _class)_

 _Alastor Moody (1_ _st_ _class)_

 _Kingsley Shacklebolt (2_ _nd_ _class posthumous)_

 _Minerva McGonagall (2_ _nd_ _class posthumous)_

Harry read the letter several times for the news to sink in but found himself speechless no matter how much he did so. He was truly honoured to receive such an award; he just simply did not know how to respond to such a thing.

He took a moment to compose himself and apparated away to Grimmauld Place to discus the matter with his Godfather, he would at least understand what it was he was feeling right now, him being the recipient of the same award after all.

He entered the kitchen to find the man sat at the table clutching a letter similar to the one he held in his own hand.

Sirius snapped out of his stupor as Harry entered the room and the two just stared at each other with the same dumbstruck expression etched on their faces; it seemed that the man was just as speechless as his Godson.

Neither could find the words to describe what they were currently feeling so instead opted to just maintain their stares. This continued until Marlene entered the kitchen to find them in their near catatonic states.

She sighed at the pair before addressing them.

"If you two are just going to stand there at least have the decency to close your mouths, it's quite rude" she pointed out.

Both men snapped their mouths shut with an audible click.

"What is wrong with you?" Marlene questioned, noticing that something was clearly bothering the pair.

Sirius just shook his head and handed her his letter without a word.

Malene took the parchment with a frown, which only lasted a moment. After she had read the first line the look she gave had turned to one of wide-eyed surprise followed by a smile and a tight hug for both men.

"If anyone deserve this it's both of you" she spoke quietly but sincerely.

"I guess we can't say no" Sirius eventually said, snapping from his mute state.

"No" Marlene answered firmly. "And neither of you will attempt to refuse it, that would be insulting to yourselves and the entirety of the wizarding world" she added. "You have both earned this and you will both accept it, think of how proud both of you families would be," she implored.

Harry smiled at his Godfather before speaking.

"She's right" he began. "Arcturus and my Grandfather will kick our arse's if we don't accept," he pointed out.

Sirius nodded.

"Maybe we do deserve it," he conceded. "It's not like they hand these out very often," he concluded.

"You do deserve it" Marlene reiterated. "If it wasn't for the two of you the war would still be going, many more people would have lost their lives and he would still be alive" she reeled off. "Like it or not you are both heroes and the people know it, all they do is sing your praises and look up to you" she finished.

Neither men were happy about being labeled as heroes but they could not refute what the woman had said. They had done all of those things and they were held in such high regard, something that flattered the duo.

They shared a final look and nodded their agreement.

They would accept the award and title for what it was, an honour. An honour that both of their grandfather's had accepted with humility and dignity. An honour that Sirius and Harry would accept in the same manner.

There was however one other thing of importance that needed to be attended to before this, something that was not quite so pleasant and that was the trial of Bellatrix Black.

As promised Harry had met with Moody and Amelia Bones to discuss the woman and her involvement in the war and what she had done to help bring the conflict to an end.

He had provided them with the notebook he had used to communicate with Bellatrix and the memories he had of conversations with her. Sirius had followed suit and provided his own.

Needless to say, both Moody and Amelia had been surprised and shocked by her level of involvement, Amelia more so as it was her tip off that had caused Sirius and Harry to save her life when she had been attacked in her home.

Both had agreed to give her a trial but that is all they had promised in regards to the woman. Amelia had vowed that she would ensure that it would be fair and her help would be taken into account before they passed sentence.

Harry had kept his word to Bellatrix and had only asked for her to be placed in a low-level security cell for the duration of her time in Azkaban, something Amelia had agreed to consider depending on what was revealed during the trial.

Harry had readily agreed to this. He would not allow the woman to get away with her transgressions but he would do his duty as her head of house to make sure her trial was fair and not corrupted in any way.

The day of the trial arrived and Harry made his way to the ministry along with Sirius and the Tonks' family, who after being informed of how paramount Bellatrix's involvement in the war had helped end it, insisted on attending.

The group was making their way to the chamber when Harry was stopped by a stern voice.

"Lord Potter, a word" Augusta Longbottom demanded, immediately irritating the young man. He had expected this eventually, but he would not be addressed or treated disrespectfully by the woman.

He followed her into the side room after sending the Tonks' and Sirius ahead to be greeted by a furious older woman, who was glaring daggers at him.

"How dare you," she hissed angrily. "After what that bitch did to my son and wife, your godmother I might add, you come here to defend her" she shrieked. "Your Grandfather and parents would be ashamed," she scolded.

Harry just looked at the woman impassively, though he was seething inside.

"I think you will find Madame Longbottom" he began with a dangerous whisper. "That I am not here to defend her actions, only to see that justice is upheld, it is my duty as her head of house," he pointed out. "I will not dispute any sentence passed as long as it is fair but her help in the war was invaluable," he continued. "If it wasn't for her then we would still be in conflict and many more would be dead, perhaps even yourself or your grandson," he explained. "I would suggest you do not disrespect myself or either of my families and do not make assumptions about me" he finished, exiting the room and leaving behind a very unhappy woman in his wake.

He entered the chambers to find that the entirety of the wizengamot were almost seated and he made his way to where Bellatrix was sat, looking very nervous.

He had not seen the woman since the battle and he had to admit that she looked considerably healthier than he had ever seen her. Clearly she had been eating regularly and had received much needed treatment, largely thanks to the efforts of Tonks and Moody who had personally seen that she had been cared for.

"Good morning, My Lord" Bellatrix greeted him quietly to which Harry simply nodded.

Though she was a part of his family he was not particularly keen on the woman. For the sake of Arcturus however he would do all he could to help her, he had promised his friend that at least.

Seeing that the assembled members were sat and ready, Dumbledore tapped his gavel smartly to begin the proceedings.

"Ladies and Gentlemen we are gathered today to discuss and decide the fate of one Bellatrix Black, Amelia if you please" he instructed the minister.

"Miss Black" she began addressing, the woman. "We have reviewed the evidence submitted by yourself, Lord Potter and Sirius Black and have concluded that the help you provided to Lord Potter was indeed pivotal in the defeat of the Dark Lord, in turn ending the war" she explained.

There was a considerable amount of murmuring to be heard within the public gallery at the minister's declaration.

"We will of course take your actions in to consideration" Amelia continued after the talking had ceased. "We do request however that you allow us to question you under veritaserum to gain a better understanding of your crimes so that we can pass a suitable sentence" She explained. "Will you take the potion willingly?" she asked.

Bellatrix looked towards Harry who nodded firmly.

"I will" Bellatrix agreed.

"Very well" Amelia responded. "Administer the potion," she commanded.

Moody himself stepped forward and placed the required 3 drops on to her tongue. After only a few seconds her eyes glazed over, indicating that it had taken effect.

"What is your name?" Amelia asked, beginning the questioning.

"Bellatrix Aurora Black" the woman answered monotonously.

"Are you still a willing follower of the Dark Lord" Amelia continued.

"No" Bellatrix answered firmly.

Again, many murmurs broke out within the room.

"Why did you join him originally?" Amelia inquired.

"I believed we needed change in our world, I was young and foolish" Bellatrix began. "I made a poor choice, one that I could not change, you cannot simply walk away from the Dark Lord when you are in his service" she explained.

Amelia nodded at her answer and then looked at the woman critically.

"You were originally convicted of using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank and Alice Longbottom until they were rendered permanently mentally damaged, did you actively take part in their torture?" Amelia asked a little heatedly.

"No" Bellatrix answered. "I was stunned by Auror Longbottom as I entered the house and woke up in a cell in the ministry," she explained.

This statement caused a mass uproar in the room as many began shouting, but none as loudly as Augusta Longbottom.

"Surely she is lying," She screeched. "She must be immune to the potion," she declared angrily.

It was surprisingly Moody that intervened on Bellatrix's behalf.

"Augusta, Miss Black has spent 15 years under the effects of the Dementors," he reminded her. "She has no resistance to mind magicks, I personally placed her under the Imperius curse several times to ensure it" he informed the woman.

Augusta Longbottom huffed angrily and took her seat. Even she was not brazen enough to question the morals of Alastor Moody.

When the room fell silent once more the questioning continued.

"When was the last time you used an unforgivable curse?" Amelia questioned further.

"June of last year when I discovered that my husband had murdered my Grandfather" Bellatrix answered without hesitation.

Amelia just nodded.

"Have you knowingly committed any other crimes since you escaped from Azkaban last year" she asked.

"No" Bellatrix answered. "I was tasked to train recruits and guard the snake, that is all apart from being instructed to kill you, but I informed Lord Potter of that so he could prevent it" she spoke clearly and confidently.

Amelia shrugged and looked towards Dumbledore.

"I adjourn this meeting for one hour while we discuss what has been revealed" he declared with a bang of his gavel.

Moody approached and stood guard over Bellatrix while the members of the Wizengamot left to discuss the proceedings.

It was 45 minutes later that they re-entered looking tired and irritable.

Dumbledore gained the attention of the room once more before addressing Bellatrix.

"We have come to an agreement, though it was not quite unanimous" he began, shooting a glance at Augusta.

"We have no new crimes to convict you of, we decided that you acted emotionally as you carried out the attack on your husband and have taken that into account. That coupled with the invaluable help you provided during the war has led us to our decision" he continued. "Though most of it is dependent on the agreement of your head of house," he informed the woman.

Harry did not like the sound of that but nodded for the old man to continue.

"We have decided that you will go to Azkaban for a further 5 years but you will be placed in a low security cell as requested by Lord Potter" Dumbledore began again. "While you are in Azkaban you will be required to receive treatment for any and all issues that you are deemed to be suffering from, pending the results of a full check by a healer" he added. "Upon your release from Azkaban you are to be placed under the care and supervision of your head of house where your treatment will continue if necessary, that is of course only if Lord Potter agrees" he finished with a questioning glance at the teen.

Harry looked towards the woman and sighed.

"If you fuck this up I will personally hunt you down and put you back with the Dementors" he warned with a dangerous whisper. "There is a place she can stay with a member of the Black family where she will be continuously supervised, I of course will take responsibility for her and ensure that she behaves" he promised, shooting a firm glare at the woman who nodded readily.

"Then that is the sentence that I pass now," Dumbledore proclaimed, banging his gavel one final time.

Bellatrix immediately flung herself into Harry's arms and thanked him profusely.

"I mean what I said" he reaffirmed to the woman who nodded her agreement.

"I won't let you down," she promised as Moody led her away to begin her sentence.

"You really better appreciate this Arcturus" he muttered to himself.

"I'm sure he does" the voice of Sirius interrupted. "Remember I went to prison for a crime I didn't commit, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't agree with the sentence" he explained seriously.

"I know" Harry sympathized. "I'm just glad it's over with now," he concluded shaking his head.

 _(BREAK)_

The days leading up to the award ceremony had been rather quiet, primarily because Harry had chosen to remain at home for the most part and spend some time with the Thestrals and Griffins.

He was exceedingly nervous about the upcoming ceremony, nervousness he hadn't had much experience of. He could fight and not feel a twinge of nerves yet when it came to public appearances and being the centre of attention they would appear with a vengeance.

He had spoken to the portrait of his Grandparent's on the matter and after they had finished praising him and telling him how proud they were Charlus was the one to give him advice.

"You stand proudly and humbly," he instructed. "You accept the award and you thank those that made it possible" he advised. "And remember, you are a Potter and you earned this by your own sufferings and sacrifices throughout your life, take it like you deserve it and reap the benefits of what you have sown" he concluded firmly.

Harry had smiled at the man and reveled in the praise they had given him. It made him truly proud of himself that one of the men he most looked up to held him in such high esteem.

The morning of the ceremony arrived and though Harry had calmed considerably after the talk with the portrait, he still felt the uncomfortable and ever-present butterflies within him.

Himself and Sirius were nervously waiting for the moment they would have to leave Grimmauld Place to arrive at Hogwarts where the even would be taking place.

The Daily Prophet had announced that awards were to be given and the idea had been much more popular than anticipated so Dumbledore had offered the use of the quidditch pitch to comfortably hold the expected large crowd.

At the appointed time the duo apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and entered the stadium to be met with a roar from the crowd of unfathomable proportions; it seemed that every seat had been filled and many more had been added to cater to the demand.

Both men blushed as the audience began shouting words of encouragement and some rather inappropriate offers of how many would like to demonstrate their gratitude.

Much to the relief of the pair a group of auror's came to their rescue and led them to the stage that had been placed in the centre of the pitch where they took their seats next to Moody, Dumbledore and an elderly black woman that they assumed was Kingsley's mother who gave the two a weak but genuine smile.

When she saw that all of those receiving honour's were seated Amelia Bones approached the podium and addressed the eagerly waiting crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here today to offer are gratitude to the men and women who have made significant contributions to our community in the conflict recently passed and the years and decades preceding this" she began, eliciting an enthusiastic round of applause from the audience. "So without further ado we will begin with the Order of Merlin awards," She informed the stadium. "Firstly to Professor Minerva McGonagall who has been awarded an Order of Merlin 2nd class for her decades of service to education in which she taught the majority of us gathered here, Albus Dumbledore will be accepting the award on her behalf" she finished.

Dumbledore took a deep breath before standing and approaching the podium. He took the offered medal and turned to address the audience who were respectfully silent.

"It is truly an honour to accept this award on the behalf of Minerva" he started/ "I daresay that it is even more of an honour than the day I received my own, Minerva truly deserves this" he declared holding the medal aloft. "She dedicated her life to teaching and never once lost her passion for it and for that I cannot give her a higher professional praise. On a personal note she was one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met and I will certainly miss her dearly" he concluded, wiping away a stray tear at the evidently still raw emotion he felt at the loss of his friend.

He took his seat again lost in thoughts as the crowd applauded the woman; many firing red and gold sparks into the sky to show their appreciation.

"The next award is to Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, who selflessly defended his injured and fallen comrades from further damage as he single-handedly fought off four highly ranked Death Eater's successfully defeating them, but at the cost of his own life" she explained. "Accepting the award on his behalf is his mother Eunice Shacklebolt," she announced.

The crowd gave another appreciative round of applause for the man and his mother.

"Kingsley always wanted to be an Auror ever since he was a child" the woman began after accepting the medal. "Although I am heartbroken by his loss I couldn't be prouder of my son for what he did and I know that he would do it over and over again, that was the kind of man he was" she finished, with silent tears pouring down her face.

Harry couldn't help but respect the show of strength the lady had demonstrated and he discreetly conjured her a hanky for her, which she took with a watery smile and began dabbing her eyes.

"Our next award is to Alastor Moody" Amelia began again once the crowd had fallen sufficiently quiet. "He has dedicated his life to keeping us all safe and was an invaluable asset in both the first war and second war against the Dark Lord, he is hereby awarded the Order of Merlin 1st class and ascended to the position of Lord in the wizarding world, Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Lord Alastor Moody" She announced and started off the tumultuous applause that followed.

Moody limped to the podium and accepted his awards before addressing the crowd.

"I want to dedicate my award to all of those friends I fought alongside and lost on the way," he growled in his usual fashion. "Lord Moody?" he questioned. "You're all just as crazy as you think I am" he finished with a bark of laughter.

The crowd laughed along with him and gave him a thunderous round of applause as he took his seat once more.

"The next man to be honoured has protected us all, including myself personally, from many threats during the previous conflict. He has fought werewolves, vampires, Dementors and Giants, not including the threat of the Death Eater's themselves" she listed. "He even personally dueled the Dark Lord before his fall" she added. "It is my pleasure to present the Order of Merlin 1st class to this man, Ladies and Gentlemen I give you Baron Sirius Orion Black" she shouted as the crowd had already began screaming in approval.

Sirius flushed but stood as composed as he could possibly manage and stepped forward to receive his awards.

He had to wait for the crowd who had begun chanting something. He listened closer and chuckled; they were repeatedly shouting 'Giant Slayer'.

After a moment he held his hands up, requesting silence, which he gained after a few moments.

"I firstly want to thank my wife Marlene and my daughter Natalie, who have been there for me throughout this whole thing and gave me the strength I needed" he began. "I want to dedicate my order of merlin to James and Lily Potter who gave me the honour and pleasure of being the Godfather to their son" he added a little sadly at the thought of his friends. "Finally I want to thank my Godson Harry," he declared after a moment. "He believed in me and trusted me to be there for him when he needed me most and I will always be grateful for that. I missed out on most of his life because of my stupidity but I'm glad I got the chance to atone for that mistake" he concluded.

Harry stood and pulled the man into a tight hug.

"You've more than made up for it Sirius" he whispered as the crowd began cheering and applauding his Godfather.

Sirius swallowed deeply and nodded at the younger man.

"I hope you don't mind that I dedicated it to them" he spoke imploringly.

Harry just shook his head and chuckled.

"You knew them better than I did, they would both appreciate it I'm sure" he assured the man who smiled at him gratefully as they took their seats.

It took a little longer for the noise of he crowd to die down enough for Amelia continue. When it did she approached the podium once again.

"Our final award goes to a young man who has had his life plagued by the Former Dark Lord since birth" She stated seriously.

The audience was now completely silent.

"What is not known by the majority of us is that the man in question has faced the Dark Lord on many occasions, even before we were aware that he was still alive" she informed the stadium.

A small amount of murmuring began at this.

"But he has proven to be a consummate survivor and has come out on top each and every time they met. He has been defending us all since the age of one and hasn't stopped since. He has fought all manor of creatures, defended our nation and others from the threat born here and it is my absolute honour and pleasure to present the Order of Merlin 1st class to the youngest ever recipient of this award and his new title, I give you none other than Baron Harry James Potter" she finished enthusiastically.

The applause he received was nothing short of chaotic. It seemed as every single person in the stadium were shouting different things in an attempt to show the young man their appreciation, clapping and stomping their feet as they pleased.

The emotion Harry felt was overwhelming to the point of a lump forming in his throat at how much this moment meant to him. He simply stood as proudly as he could and absorbed the moment knowing that he would never experience anything like this again in his life.

After a few moments he made his way to the podium and the noise of the crowd slowly dwindled enough that he could be heard.

"Thank you all for your kind words" he began humbly. "Firstly I want to thank everyone who has given me their support and who believed in me from the start and a special thank you goes to my Godfather Sirius, who stood and fought beside at every possible opportunity, even when the odds were not in our favour" he added genuinely.

The audience gave the marauder another round of applause at the praise he received.

"I am touched that Sirius would dedicate his awards to my parents, as I know they would be," he continued. "I am dedicating mine to two men that are no longer with us but two men that have made me the person I am today. Firstly, to my Grandfather, Baron Charlus Henry Potter, who without his guidance and many things he left behind none of this would have been possible" he explained sincerely.

The crowd applauded the man appreciatively and waited for Harry to go on.

"Secondly is Arcturus Orion Black who was there for me when I needed it most and gave me everything I needed to not only survive but to win, so this is for you too you surly old git" he declared holding up his medal.

The audience laughed at his summary of the man.

"There is one more person I have to thank" Harry announced after a moment. "That person is Daphne Greengrass," he announced. "She gave me a reason worth fighting for beyond the desire for vengeance and gave me the normality I needed to get through it all. She was there for me when I thought things were getting too much and gave me a kick up the arse when I needed" he continued amusedly. "But beyond her threatening to dig me up and curse me into oblivion if I died she has been completely invaluable to me and I cannot even put in to words how much she means to me, thank you" he finished sincerely.

The assembled witches and wizards gave another roar of approval and tumultuous applause the young man as he took his seat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, that concludes our ceremony" Amelia announced, sounding a little relieved.

The audience gave one final loud applause to the recipients and began firing off a multitude of sparks from their wands in various colours.

It took a considerable amount of time for the crowd to disperse but when they did Sirius and Harry were both accosted teary-eyed women and family members.

Sirius simply pulled his wife and daughter into a hug and held on to them while he shared pleasantries with the Tonks' and the Greengrass's who had come to congratulate the two.

"Did you mean what you said" Daphne asked Harry disbelievingly as she threw herself in to his arms.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't" Harry returned genuinely. "I will never be able to show you how much it means to me and how much easier you made it for me" he added truthfully.

"Just stay, that will show me" Daphne mumbled into his shoulder.

Harry smiled. He liked how that sounded.

"I'm sure I can do that" he sighed happily.

"You better" Daphne replied simply.

 _(BREAK)_

It was two days after the ceremony that Sirius was having breakfast with Marlene when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Sirius asked with a frown as he left the kitchen to greet their guest.

He had kept all of the family wards active and even the Fidelius Charm so it could only be a select number of people that would be able to visit the home.

He opened the door to reveal Mad-Eye Moody who was dressed in his full Auror garb. As he had taken to since being named the head of the DMLE.

"Alastor" Sirius greeted the man. "What can I do for you?" he questioned, gesturing for the man to enter.

"I have come to ask you for a favour" Moody explained as the pair entered the kitchen. "Marlene" he acknowledged the woman with a nod.

"Hello Alastor" Marlene responded warmly. "What can we do for you? She asked as she began making some tea.

"I'll cut to the chase," Moody declared. "I want you to come and be the head of the auror department," he growled at Sirius.

The man frowned at him disbelievingly.

"Surely you already have someone capable," he stated questioningly.

Moody shook his head.

"Had he survived the job would have been Kingsley's," he replied. "The others aren't up to scratch and they know and respect you already" he pointed out.

Sirius sighed and shared a look with his wife.

"It's better than you sitting around here all day" she shrugged.

"What will you do without me?" he asked the woman.

Marlene chuckled.

"I am a woman Sirius, there are always things for me to do" she explained. "You can't spend the rest of your life sat in here," she added knowingly.

The truth was Sirius had begun to grow tired of the tedium of peace. He had kept up his training but that was the only productive thing he had been doing since the war had ended.

"You won't take no for an answer will you?" he sighed towards the grizzled man.

"Aye lad, you got that right," Moody answered with a bark of laughter.

Sirius shook his head and sighed once more.

"Alright" he conceded. "But I want time off over the summer to spend with Natalie" he demanded.

"Fine" Moody shrugged.

"It looks like you've got yourself a head auror" Sirius chuckled. "When do I start?" he asked.

"Right now" Moody growled and pulled the marauder to his feet.

"It looks like I will see you later" he intoned to his wife, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Have fun" the woman giggled as she bade the pair goodbye.

Sirius was nothing short of frog marched from his home to begin his impromptu career in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as the new head auror.

 _END FLASHBACK_

Harry was broken from his thoughts by the arrival of the Hogwarts Express and waited for Daphne to disembark the train. He hadn't seen her since the award ceremony as Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled due to the effort to repair the damage done to the village during the battle.

He only had to wait a few moments before he felt a blonde blur crash into him, leaving the young man slightly breathless.

"I've missed you" he greeted her with a whisper and a chaste kiss.

"Well you have me all to yourself for the next 3 months" Daphne replied happily.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Harry answered contently.

 _(BREAK)_

Before either of the couples were ready September 1st had arrived and Daphne had to return to Hogwarts for her final year of school.

They had spent almost every day of the summer together, simply enjoying being in each other's company without thoughts of the war and the possibility of what they had ending before it had even begun.

Some days they would venture out to Diagon Alley or visit places of interest and sometimes they were just happy to spend time curled up and away from prying eyes.

Of course the prophet and other major publications had taken it upon themselves to speculate about their relationship, something that Harry did not take kindly to. But after a few not so kind words with editors and journalists alike the pair had very much been left alone.

The one major event of the summer for them both had been the day that Harry had kept his promise to the portrait of his Grandparent's and had finally taken Daphne to meet them.

 _FLASHBACK_

It was a few weeks before his birthday that he had taken the entire Greengrass Family to Potter Manor for dinner that he decided the time was right for her to meet them. Though he wasn't nervous it was a big del to the young man as the portrait represented what was left of the Potter family other than himself.

He had led her into the library and simply placed her in front of the portrait, not knowing what else to do in such a situation.

"You must be the young Miss Greengrass that we have heard so much about" Charlus greeted the teen with a warm smile.

"Yes Baron Potter" Daphne confirmed with a curtsey.

"Please, I am dead after all, there is no need for the formality, call me Charlus my lady" he requested with a bow.

"I see where Harry gets his charm from" Daphne observed with a chuckle.

"It is very much a Potter trait," Charlus returned with a grin.

"He looks more like a Black though," Dorea pointed out proudly.

"Well I cannot argue with that" Charlus mused. "Though you are very beautiful so he should feel privileged that he got the best of both of our families" he concluded.

"He got the messy Potter hair though" Dorea sighed with a shake of her head. "Are you sure your family wasn't cursed somewhere along the line? She asked her husband with a frown.

"Only if you count marrying a woman you're scared of," Charlus mumbled causing his wife to scowl at him.

"I think being with women that scare us is a Potter curse" Harry cut in. "You did it, Dad did it and now it looks like I'm following," he explained.

"So it's a curse being with me is it?" Daphne asked casually, but Harry had gotten use to knowing that that in fact was a warning tone, warning him to choose his next words very carefully.

"Of course not, it is and always has been a delight," he returned quickly placing a gentle kiss on her cheek and offering her a winning smile.

Daphne just raised an eyebrow at him.

"You definitely inherited your Grandfather's ability to land yourself in trouble with your mouth" Dorea interjected.

"Oh I'm used to that Mrs. Potter, he is soon quiet if I threaten to curse him" Daphne answered casually.

"Good, you've learnt that young" Dorea praised. "Though Charlus never did learn to curb his tongue," she sighed. "But it does have a certain charm about it for some baffling reason" She finished.

"It's not just me then" Daphne stated with a hit of relief in her voice.

"No my dear it isn't" Dorea confirmed. "But the small annoyances were always worth it".

"I guess that is true" Daphne agreed with a mock sigh.

"When did this become about us and our flaws?" Harry questioned confusedly.

"I'm afraid that when women talk that is what it will mostly be about Harry" Charlus explained with a rueful shake of his head. "Get used to it, it won't change" he advised.

Harry looked towards Daphne who just smiled brightly in return.

"Just look at the bright side at least she is beautiful and I imagine very intelligent, especially if she takes after her grandfather, a fine potions master and great man" Charlus reminisced.

"She is" Harry agreed with a genuine smile. "She's put up with me so she's definitely patient" he added thoughtfully.

"That's a requirement" Daphne deadpanned causing Dorea to giggle and nod in agreement.

"I am so glad you came Daphne" she spoke genuinely. "You can visit any time," she concluded happily.

"Oh I will, I'm very interested to know what Harry has been telling you about me" the blonde returned causing Harry to pale considerably.

"And on that note" Harry announced and began leading his girlfriend from the room before she could ask any embarrassing questions.

"I will see you both soon" Daphne called back, laughing as she was pushed from the library.

 _END FLASHBACK_

The rest of the summer had been rather peaceful for the pair, even when in public they were given enough space as people had begun acknowledging Harry with a wave and in some cases a bow, something he preferred to having women make lewd suggestions or being cornered by large groups wanting autographs and pictures.

His birthday had been another found memory for Harry. He had wanted to just have a quiet gathering with the Greengrass's and the members of the Black family, which they had gratefully respected.

They had a simple meal at Potter Manor and celebrated the affair peacefully, as Harry had requested foregoing the usual type of celebration that would happen when a witch or wizard came of age.

He had received what could only be described as a mountain of gifts and letters on his birthday that required the help of both Elgar and Dobby to sort through.

Knowing that it would take forever to write to and thank each individual person for their gifts he had opted to place and advert in the paper, though he did write personally to friends and those he knew well.

Sirius and Jonathan had gotten together and had a watch made for Harry that depicted the family crests of the Potter and Black families and also the Greengrass one. Even though his knowledge on wizarding customs and etiquette was still rather poor he knew that that gesture was certainly significant.

He had simply stared at Jonathan incredulously and waited for the man to explain his reasoning.

"You have more than become a member of this family" he shrugged simply. "I will never have a son of my own to give something like this to and if anyone deserves it, it's you," he explained a little emotionally.

Harry simply pulled the man into a hug at the sentimentality he had shown. It meant more to him than he could put into words. His family had grown considerably over the past couple of years and it was only growing more and more as time was passing.

Those peaceful summer days were now behind them however and the couple found themselves on platform 9 ¾ waiting for the departure of the Hogwarts express.

"It is only one more year" Harry spoke, trying to soothe his very upset girlfriend, though it was very unconvincing as he was not at all happy about the situation.

"I know, but I don't like it" she mumbled into his chest.

"I will see you on Hogsmeade weekends, Christmas, Easter and we still have the mirrors" he tried.

Daphne extracted herself from his chest and gave him a weak smile.

"What will you do?" she asked him.

"Well Sirius has some new recruits starting soon so I am sure that I will be talked into help with their training and I have to go through the vaults which is going to take forever" he sighed.

"At least you will be busy though," Daphne pointed out.

"I know, but I like procrastinating with you" he pouted.

"Yes well you need to have something to do, you'll be bored if you had nothing. I know you still train a ridiculous amount of hours but you need more," she suggested.

"Well I have been thinking about getting my broom out, it's been too long" he mused.

Daphne just laughed and shook her head.

"Are you thinking about professional quidditch?" she asked.

Harry shrugged.

"It's a possibility I suppose," he conceded.

It was then that the whistle sounded and Daphne very reluctantly boarded the train.

Harry watched as the express disappeared into the distance and apparated away to begin the new phase of his life.

 _(BREAK)_

The journey on the train for Daphne was a miserable experience and she got more and more down the further away from London she got. No matter what Tracey and Astoria did they could not cheer her up even slightly.

Daphne simply sat lost in the thoughts of the summer she had shared with Harry, a summer she was not ready to end, though she doubted she ever would have been ready for it to be over.

Before she knew it the train had pulled in to the station and she was sat in a carriage making the final stretch of the journey towards the castle.

"Come on Daph, moping around isn't going to make it any easier" Tracey said, attempting to pull her friend from her down state.

"I know" Daphne sighed sadly. "It was just over too quickly, I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet" she explained. "I just wish he would have came back".

"He already got his NEWTS" Tracey pointed out. "There's nothing left for him to learn here" she added knowingly.

"I'm just going to miss him" Daphne shrugged.

"Well you will still speak to him every day and see him every few weeks" Tracey tried.

"Yeah, I just have to get used to not seeing him all the time I guess" Daphne conceded.

The group made their way into the Great Hall and took their seats at the Slytherin table that was still short of a few students compared to the other houses.

"Who do you think will be the transfiguration professor"? Astoria asked.

"I have no idea, Transfiguration teachers are really hard to come by according to my Dad" Tracey answered seriously.

It was then that the first years were led in by Professor Flitwick and stood in front of the staff table to be sorted into their houses.

After the sorting had been completed Dumbledore stood to address the room and give the customary start of term notices.

"To all new and returning students, welcome to Hogwarts" he began with a soft smile. "Firstly Mr. Filch has asked me to remind that the list of banned items can be found stuck to the door to his office, he has assured me that many of you still need reminding" he spoke with a hint of amusement. "Secondly, Professor Flitwick has kindly consented to fill the position of Deputy Head after the very unfortunate passing of Professor McGonagall" he explained sadly.

There was a smattering of applause for the diminutive Professor as he gave a humble bow from the staff table in acknowledgement.

"On the subject of Professor McGonagall it has been rather difficult to fill the post of Transfiguration professor so I have opted to take the post myself, having taught the subject for many years before I was made headmaster" he informed the room.

Another, more enthusiastic round of applause followed that announcement.

"Therefore" Dumbledore continued. "I have had to find a new Defense against the Dark Arts professor, which has never been an easy task with the tendency for the them not lasting very long" he mused. "I am however confident that our new Professor is more than up to the task so I ask you to please welcome Professor Harry Potter, who has kindly consented to return to Hogwarts to share his knowledge with you all" he finished with his eyes twinkling madly..

There was a stunned silence within the room as the door beside the staff table open to reveal a serious looking Harry Potter who took a seat between Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout.

After the shock had worn off the students exploded in applause and roared their approval at the appointment of Harry to the position.

"Did you know?" Tracey questioned Daphne.

"I had no idea" Daphne answered dumbly. "I'm going to kill him" she declared, though she could not hide her smile.

Dumbledore held up his hands to silence the students so he could continue.

"For those of you who are not aware Professor Potter has completed both his OWLS and NEWTS to an astounding degree and has attained his mastery in both Defense Against the Dark Arts and Dueling, so having him here is truly a privilege for us all" he explained. "Now I do believe that it is time for us to divulge in our annual welcoming feast" he concluded with a wave of his hands, causing the plates and goblets to fill with food and drink.

Harry looked towards Daphne with a grin who simply raised her eyebrow at him and smiled despite herself.

 _FLASHBACK_

Harry had just returned home from his birthday dinner with the Greengrass's and the Black family, thoroughly exhausted by the day. He had just finished his shower and was getting ready for bed when a phoenix patronus interrupted him.

"I apologise for the lateness but would you kindly join me in my office?" the bird spoke in the voice of Dumbledore.

Harry sighed but replied his consent.

He got dressed and apparated to Hogwarts to see what the old man wanted.

He approached the stone gargoyle that immediately hopped aside to allow him entrance. He knocked on the door and was called to enter by the headmaster.

"Ahh Harry, thank you for entertaining an old man" Dumbledore greeted the teen with an incline of his head. "I believe congratulations are in order" he stated. "You have reached your majority after all" he added with a smile.

"Thank you sir" Harry returned with a smile of his own. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Well I wanted to give you this" Dumbledore explained handing Harry a squishy, wrapped package. "Happy Birthday Harry" he continued, his eyes twinkling madly "And I wanted to ask you a favour, if you recall you did offer assistance if I required it" he pointed out.

"Thank you professor, and I did" he conceded warily. "What kind of favour?" he questioned.

"Well as you know with Minerva passing I have the task of finding a new transfiguration professor" the old man began. "Transfiguration masters are notoriously difficult to find as they are rather scarce, thus I have failed to find a replacement" he explained sadly. "I have therefore opted to teach it myself, I feel that I am more than qualified for the role" he continued with a chuckle. "But that leaves me with the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts to fill" he added with a shake of his head.

"And you want me to fill it?" Harry asked incredulously.

"I do" Dumbledore answered simply.

"But I am only 17" Harry pointed out a little frantically.

"But you are more than qualified for the role" Dumbledore countered. "You have more experience than any man I can think of and you have a mastery in the subject and dueling, quite a complimentary skill" he added knowingly.

Harry just sighed. He was not particularly keen on taking the role and teaching his former classmates, it would be rather strange.

Before he could voice his views on the matter Dumbledore spoke up once again.

"There are many benefits of teaching Harry" he began. "You will have your privacy from the public and it is a very rewarding career, though I am sure you have your own ideas on what you would like to pursue" he finished.

He did like the sound of a little privacy and knew that the media and public could not enter the castle. Add to the fact that he could see Daphne more often, it was becoming a very viable option.

"In all honesty sir I haven't thought much of what I want to do" Harry admitted.

He had simply been enjoying spending time with Daphne and not worrying about Tom and his followers.

"Well then why don't' you think my offer over for a couple of weeks" Dumbledore offered. "We would be very much honoured to have you here, all of the staff have voiced their support for your appointment after I mentioned it as a possibility at the last meeting" he explained.

"I can do that" Harry conceded.

"Excellent" Dumbledore declared happily with a clap of his hands. "Here is everything you will need to know, the syllabus and details" he explained handing Harry a sheaf of parchment.

Harry took it and bid the old man goodbye and headed home with something else to plague his mind though he was pleased by the gift Dumbledore had gotten him; socks. It reminded him of his first year and his encounter with the old man in front of the Mirror of Erised.

He had looked over the parchment and new immediately that he would have no problem teaching it, it was rather elementary in comparison to his own knowledge he had gained from his own studies and work for his mastery.

It was a week later that he accepted the offer of the position under the condition that his salary would be paid into the school fund and that he could spend the night at home when he chose to.

Dumbledore had readily agreed to his terms and had explained that him dating Daphne would not be a problem so long as they were decent in public. He had pointed out that he was only 17 after all and that was one of the concessions he would happily make for the younger man to bring him on board.

So September 1st had arrived and he had bade farewell to his girlfriend and made his way to the castle to begin his career as a professor, something he hadn't even considered until he had been offered the position.

He hadn't told Daphne as he wanted it to be a surprise for her, though he knew she was probably going to curse him for keeping it from her.

 _END FLASHBACK_

The feast ended and the students began making their way to their common rooms and Harry noticed that Daphne was waiting for him.

"Best face the music" he muttered to himself.

He approached the girl, who was standing with her hands on her hips glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

"You know I should curse you" Daphne spoke quietly.

"But you won't" Harry stated. "That frown is not real" he pointed out cheekily.

Daphne huffed and pouted slightly.

"You do know how to make me happy Mr. Potter" she conceded.

"That's Professor Potter" he returned with a smirk.

"Don't push it" she growled though she was smiling.

"Or Baron Potter, whatever you prefer" Harry added as he led her from the great hall and pulled her into a hug.

Daphne just sighed and shook her head at him.

"Having an ego doesn't suit you" she said playfully.

"It's a good job I don't have one then" he mused aloud. "I'm not fond of people calling me Baron, it makes me feel old" he frowned. "I think that's why your Dad does it" he added irritably.

"It's the only thing he has on you" Daphne replied. "He can't beat you in a duel or intimidate you so he annoys you" she explained with a grin.

"I suppose I can let him have that" Harry conceded. "I will see you in the morning I'm teaching 7th year first thing" he informed her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"How very inappropriate of a professor" Daphne intoned with mock horror.

"Then I will stop doing it" Harry responded flatly.

"You will do no such thing" the blonde huffed irritably before kissing him again.

"I will see you in the morning" Harry said with a smile.

"Goodnight" the girl returned happily and watched as Harry exited the castle.

Harry made his way home still questioning if he had made the right choice to accept the position.

"Only time will tell" he mused as he apparated home.

 _(BREAK)_

He arrived back at Hogwarts the following morning and made his way to his classroom having decided to take his breakfast at home. He had managed to glance over his lesson plan for the day when the first students began to arrive.

Unsurprisingly it was Daphne and Tracey who acknowledged him with a smile and took their seats to wait for the rest of the class to join them. It was only a few moments later that the classroom was full and Harry was able to begin his first lesson.

He had already decided that he was going to take the job as seriously as possible, it was after all one of the most crucial but dangerous topics taught and he knew that NEWT level was exceptionally so. As far as he was concerned, in the classroom he was a professor first and foremost. Personal relationships had no place here when thing it was possible to be injured or worse.

"Ok, let's begin" he began, addressing the assembled students. "Today I'm going to get an idea of what you know and what will be necessary to teach you so you can pass you exams" he explained.

He was immediately interrupted by Hermione raising her hand, who was looking rather sickly and disheveled.

"Professor, you didn't give us an assigned text" she pointed out confusedly.

"Because this is NEWT level, you should be able to find your own appropriate texts for any subject I give you for homework" Harry explained. "If you do find yourself stuck then I will suggest a text or two for you" he added thoughtfully.

The door suddenly opened and Ron slouched in. He took a seat next to Seamus and made no excuses for his lateness.

"That will be five points from Gryffindor Mr. Weasley, make sure you are here on time in future or you will find yourself in detention with Mr. Filch" Harry warned.

"Oh come off it Harry" Ron responded hotly. "We all know you're only here because Dumbledore couldn't find anyone else to take the job".

"That is Professor Potter, Mr. Weasley, and I am here because I am qualified to teach the subject. I have already completed my NEWTS and mastery in the subject, I took no shortcuts and that will be another five points from Gryffindor" Harry finished irritably.

Ron just huffed and folded his arms petulantly, sulking like a child.

"Any other interruptions?" Harry asked the room.

When he got no response he continued.

"I may have been your classmate but I have not been a student here for two years now" he pointed out. "You will treat me the same way you treat the other professor's and I will treat you all equally" he explained. "Now let us resume" he finished firmly.

Some of the class shared a nervous look. Most had thought that the class would be a bit of fun but they now knew that would not be the case.

"Today you will complete a quiz" he informed them as he wandlessly summoned a stack of parchment.

There was a collective groan at that revelation.

"You should all know this stuff by now so I am expecting high scores" he explained as he handed out the work. "You may begin" he instructed after the last one had been given.

The rest of the lesson was spent in silence as the students were clearly wracking their brains for the long forgotten information they needed to complete the test.

Harry observed them and could see that a few were struggling with the questions.

'This is going to be a long year' he sighed inwardly.

As the lesson came to an end he summoned back the pieces of parchment so that he could look over them later, though judging by the gaps he could see on some it was going to be a frustrating task at best.

"Miss Granger, stay behind" he called as the students began exiting the room.

"Did I do something wrong Professor?" Hermione asked worriedly after the two had been left alone.

"Take a seat Hermione" Harry instructed.

The girl complied and waited for him to continue.

"You look like shit" he said flatly. "What is wrong with you?" he asked.

Hermione sighed.

"I don't know, I just feel awful all the time" she explained sadly. "Ever since that day in Hogsmeade and Hannah, I just, don't know" she finished lamely.

Harry sighed and dragged his hand through his hair.

"Survivors guilt" he said simply.

"Huh?" Hermione returned confusedly.

"You feel guilty that you survived and Hannah didn't" he pointed out. "You're punishing yourself for it:.

"But it was my fault" Hermione choked.

"Did you fire the curse that killed her?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but I as good as dragged her and Neville there" she whispered, shaking her head.

"None of you should have been there" Harry agreed. "But from what I saw you had something to offer" he continued. "You saved two lives that day". "Was Hannah as capable as you?" he questioned the now sobbing girl.

"She was better with the spells" Hermione sighed.

Harry nodded and took her hand.

"You made a mistake and underestimated the danger you would be in" he began after a moment. "She paid the price for the ignorance but wallowing in guilt and killing yourself slowly is a shit way to honour her memory, learn from it and make sure it doesn't happen again and it will get better, it will take time but it will" he explained. "You can only help yourself out of this, just make sure her sacrifice was not for nothing" he advised seriously.

Hermione just nodded.

"Get some food, get a shower and get some sleep" he instructed. "Speak to Madame Pomfrey, I'm sure she can help you more than I can" he suggested.

"I will" Hermione readily agreed. "Thank you Harry" she said sincerely and pulled him into a hug.

 _(BREAK)_

The rest of the school year went by in a blur and Harry had been overall pleased with his own and the performance of his students in their exams, though there were of course a few exceptions.

Ron had continued to frustrate and disappoint him throughout the year, something that Harry had decided to ignore. There was only a certain amount of help you could give someone, the rest was simply up to them and Ron had no passion or drive whatsoever. He barely managed an acceptable over the course of the year and Harry very much doubted that that would change on his NEWTS.

Hermione had taken his advice and sought help from Madame Pomfrey. At the beginning of the year her work certainly had not been on par with her usual standard but Harry had been both pleased and relieved when her grades improved significantly and she was once again performing at the top of the class.

His other classes had been much more straightforward than the 7th year one. He was pleased that the students took both him and the subject seriously and applied themselves accordingly. He had pointed out from the start that he would not tolerate messing around or dangerous behavior, something they had all taken on board very quickly.

He knew that both Sirius and Marlene would be proud of Natalie and the amount of dedication she had to her education. She consistently performed in the top part of the class even though defense was not her favourite subject. By all accounts the girl had a true passion for transfiguration and according to Dumbledore, she was a complete natural, something that the old man was particularly pleased with. Not a week went by that he was not singing her praises in some form and had been hinting heavily that she was a sure candidate for a mastery in the subject if her work level continued the way that it was.

Harry had to admit that Dumbledore had been right when he explained that teaching was a very rewarding job. The teen quickly found a passion for the role when he saw how much he was helping the students. It was frustrating at times but the moments of pride he had in his students when they achieved something they had difficulty with made every single difficult moment worth it. It was because of this sense of achievement and how fond he had become of those he taught that he opted to stay on as a professor and continue teaching.

Daphne had decided to stay on after 7th year and apprentice under Slughorn for a potions mastery. She one day wanted to take over her father's shop and the man was insistent that she obtained a higher qualification in potions before he would allow that.

Now that the war was well and truly over the couple could finally focus on the things they wanted to do with the peace they had found without the threat of death hanging over them any longer.

 _(BREAK)_

 _5 years later_

It was a very nervous Harry Potter that stood at the small altar in the church at Godric's Hollow eagerly awaiting the arrival of his bride.

Harry had initially decided against holding the wedding here but Daphne had pointed out that the venue was small and private enough to keep the event as minimalist as they wanted and that this was the closest they could get to having Harry's parents being a part of the ceremony. Harry eventually conceded the points that she had made and agreed with her, actually very happy and touched that she would take the latter reason into consideration.

They had been discussing marriage for some time but had both decided that they would wait until Daphne had completed her potion mastery, which she had and was now working alongside her father in his shop where she was learning to manage the business.

Harry had wasted no time in proposing to the blonde, doing so on the very day she received the aforementioned mastery after of course gaining permission from both Jonathan and Ophelia who had immediately gave their blessing, without hesitation, delighted that the young man would become an official member of their family; even though they had considered him such for several years now.

Harry had continued teaching at Hogwarts having found a real passion for the role and even made time during the term breaks to help Sirius train the auror's, something else he enjoyed though he had no desire to join them, much to the chagrin of Moody who had continually offered him a role within his department.

He of course had asked Sirius to be his best man for the event and even had Remus as part of the wedding party, a man that he had gotten to know much better since the end of the war. He found the werewolf to be very intelligent and very likeable, a man he had truly come to respect and like a great deal. Although he was much more serious than his marauder brethren, he certainly had a very mischievous streak within him, something that both Harry and his godfather had been on the receiving end of over the intervening years.

Daphne had of course selected Tracey to be her maid of honour who had surprisingly begun to date Blaise Zabini after they had left Hogwarts as they had spent much time together at the law office they both were employed by.

The bride-to-be had also chosen both Astoria and Natalie to be her bridesmaids much to the happiness of them both.

Astoria had chosen to work with her mother in the Department of Family Records having an interest in the history of wizarding families, something she could divulge in within the role.

Unsurprising to most Natalie had stayed on after completing her education and was currently being apprenticed by Dumbledore himself who had continued to be impressed by the girl's skill in the subject and had offered her an opportunity that he had only ever given to Minerva McGonagall previously. Natalie had eagerly accepted the offer instantly and had thrown herself into the subject and was learning all she could, wanting to one day be a professor like the man she had come to idolise in the field.

Harry's breath hitched in his chest as the bridal march began to play and all attention within the room had become focused on the door in which the bride was about to enter.

Natalie was the first to come through, wearing a deep red dress and clutching and clutching a white bouquet to her chest, smiling brightly as she walked to take her place.

She was becoming a beautiful young woman, something that Sirius had now realised as he shifted uncomfortably next to his godson as he watched his daughter's approach.

"You'd better keep an eye on her" Harry muttered in amusement, noticing the plight the man was facing.

"Shut up" Sirius growled. "Don't think I won't hex you because it's your wedding day" he warned.

"Like you could" Harry returned with a chuckle.

The back and forth between the two was interrupted as Astoria entered the room wearing an identical dress and carrying a similar bouquet to that of which Natalie had brought with her.

"When did they grow up so much?" Sirius whined in a whisper, shaking his head disbelievingly.

"The years have passed quickly" Harry agreed.

Tracey was the next to enter and quickly took her place much to the amusement of Harry. The girl usually enjoyed being the centre of attention but clearly not in situations such as these.

Harry took a deep anticipatory breath when he realised that Daphne would be the next and final person to come through the door which she did soon after Tracey had taken her spot.

She looked simply beautiful and all Harry could do was stare at the woman, thanking and blessing every deity he could think of for his fortune.

Her dress was a simple, form-fitting white gown with a deep plunge at the bust line, accentuating her lithe but shapely figure. Her hair had been placed in a neat yet intricate hive style and her make up completed sparingly, though Harry always insisted that she never needed it; she was perfect to him in every way.

She was led up the aisle by Jonathan who was beaming proudly, although it was clear to everyone in attendance that he was fighting the emotion that was threatening to overcome him as his eyes were shining in a similar fashion to that of the woman he was escorting towards her soon to be husband. It was plain to see that he was not sad in any way, he was just caught up in the moment of handing his first daughter into the care of another man, though it was the only man he could or would entrust such a precious thing to.

"Stop gaping you moron" Sirius hissed in Harry's ear, carrying out his duty to ensure the day went smoothly on the groom's end.

Harry snapped his jaw shut with an audible click as he turned to face his godfather, another look of amusement overcoming him.

"You sounded just like Arcturus then" Harry pointed out to the man, who looked nothing short of horrified by that declaration.

"Never say that again" Sirius pleaded.

"The old man obviously rubbed off on you" Harry chuckled in response.

It was at this point that Jonathan and Daphne reached them and he man took a deep breath before offering Harry the arm of his daughter with a content and confident smile.

The younger man took the hand of the woman and helped her onto the slightly raised dais before turning his attention back to her father and bringing him into a hug.

"I won't let you down" he whispered sincerely into Jonathan's ear.

The man nodded gratefully and clapped Harry firmly on the shoulder as they broke apart, giving him a very grateful smile and nod of appreciation before heading to his seat.

Harry turned back to face his bride and just took in the moment, waiting for the proceedings to begin.

"You look amazing" Harry mouthed to the blonde who blushed slightly, an ability that Harry had never lost over the years they had been together.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" the voice of Dumbledore cut in merrily, the man having been given the honour to conduct the ceremony. "We are gathered here today to witness a celebration of love and marriage between a very deserving man and woman" he informed them unnecessarily. "I believe that the couple have written their own vows, so without further ado" he finished, gesturing for Harry to begin.

Harry once again took a deep breath and braced himself accordingly, not wanting to spoil the moment in anyway. He cleared his throat gently before speaking.

"I think that it is safe to say that I'm not very good at talking about my feelings, if I remember correctly the first time I told you I had fallen in love with you I whispered it" he began with a shake of his head.

There was a scatter of chuckling heard within the room at his admission.

"It's not that I'm scared to tell you how I feel" he continued, completely serious now. "It's because I know any words I can find could never do my true feelings justice" he added, looking the blonde in the eye who was completely enraptured by the words and the way he spoke. "I don't think it is even possible to put how I feel into words but I do know that what I feel for you is something that has and will only keep growing" he said sincerely. "You're my whole world and my reason to keep going, something that I can't even bare the thought of losing, I love you with everything I am Daphne and I will always show you that in everything we do, my words can't say it so I will spend the rest of my life showing you it" he vowed sincerely.

Many sniffs could be heard within the crowd as Harry finished as people began dabbing at their eyes with conjured tissues. Dumbledore himself discreetly conjured a tissue and wiped away a few errant tears that had fallen at the sentiment and love shown by the young man. He could not be more proud of Harry and everything he had done and he now had the distinct honour of playing a pivotal role in his wedding. Both he and Harry had become not only close friends over the years but had formed a much more familial bond, each being there to support each other through the difficult times that most thought that neither experienced.

Daphne swallowed deeply and wiped away a tear or two of her own before giving Harry a watery smile and starting her own part of the ceremony.

"You saved my life the first time that we met properly and from that moment it has only ever been you I wanted" she began a little tentatively. "It wasn't because I saw you as my hero, although you are, it's because of the man I saw within you" she explained. "I saw a care and compassion that I never knew could exist and even though I thought I was dead, I was content and not even afraid" she continued. "That's what you do for me, you make me feel as though nothing can harm me when I am with you and I know that you would give yourself before you would let anything happen to me but even that means very little compared to everything else" she spoke genuinely. "It's just everything about you that I fell in love with, you're perfect to me and I wouldn't change a thing about you. I couldn't imagine my life without you because it would be meaningless, without you I wouldn't have a thing, I love you Harry and fall in love with you more and more each day, even though I think it's impossible" she intoned, swallowing deeply. "I will happily spend the rest of my life feeling like this and doing everything I can to show you, just the same as you have promised" she finished resolutely.

The two placed the rings on each other's fingers and shared their first kiss as husband and wife after Dumbledore had finished the intricate spell, sealing their vows.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" the headmaster spoke. "I give you Harry and Daphne Potter" he announced, his eyes twinkling in his happiness, shining with the additional tears that had formed once more.

The gathered guests erupted into a chorus of loud cheers and applause at the declaration that the couple were now officially man and wife, something that the wizarding world had been waiting for quite some time.

Before they knew it the guests were all assembled in the Great Hall of Hogwarts sharing in the festivities of the reception. They had all just finished their meal when Sirius gently tapped his spoon on his goblet and rose to give the required speech of his position.

"I've been instructed under threat of severe pain that I have to keep my words tasteful" Sirius informed the room with a slight pout and a sad look towards his wife who was glaring at him threateningly. "I couldn't be more proud to stand here as Harry's best man" he continued after a moment. "I was there the day he was born, the day he took his first steps and the day he nearly killed Lily's cat with the training broom I brought him for his first birthday" he spoke with unwavering amusement. "I was there when he fought all manner of horrible men and creatures and I was there the day he fought Tom Riddle" he elaborated darkly. "I can't think of anyone who deserves as much happiness as I know he is feeling right now and someone who fought so hard for it, never once giving up" he added thoughtfully. "I couldn't be more proud of the man you have become and I can say completely confidently that both of your parents would be just as proud of you as I am" he said with a firm nod. "You deserve everything that comes your way and I don't even need to wish the pair of you luck, I think it's clear to all of us how much you mean to each other, you don't need luck because I know you will both make each other's dreams come true, to Harry and Daphne" he finished emotionally, raising his goblet in tribute to the pair.

The room gave him a round of applause and he smiled in gratitude.

"Now I think it is about time that the newlyweds share their first dance" he suggested as he flicked his wand towards a box that had been placed on the stage.

Harry and Daphne rose to share their first dance together in their married life, something that would be repeated many times over the following decades.

Harry took his wife into his arms and led her around the floor to the song _Kiss Me_ by _Sixpence None The Richer,_ a song they had both grown fond of after hearing it in the first muggle movie they had seen together.

The night came to an end a few hours later when Harry and Daphne bade their farewells to the guests to begin the rest of their lives as Mr. and Mrs. Potter, both as happy and excited as the other for what was to come.

 _(BREAK)_

 _2 Years later_

Harry simply stared in complete astonishment at the bundle of white blankets he held in his arms that housed the couple's firstborn child. He could not believe that he had been a part of creating something so beautiful, so perfect.

"Well?" Daphne questioned him tiredly, amused at the expression of shock that adorned her husband's features.

"She's perfect" Harry whispered as a stray tear slid down his cheek in sheer joy and his daughter shifted slightly to fit in the crook of his arm.

"She?" Daphne asked breathily.

"It's a girl" Harry confirmed, looking at his wife and beaming. "And she's just as beautiful as you" he revealed as he stepped forward and placed his daughter in the arms of her eagerly awaiting mother.

"She looks just like me" Daphne whispered in awe.

"She does" Harry agreed happily.

"Merlin" Daphne said in shock. "Harry, look" she implored.

Harry frowned slightly and bent over to look at his daughter who immediately looked up at him, looked up at him with his own emerald eyes.

Harry took a deep breath in shock. The little girl that his wife held in her arms was an exact replica of her mother yet the eyes were very much those of her father.

"Damn" Harry finally managed to mutter, shaking his head. "She really is beautiful" he added with a watery smile.

The new parent's were interrupted by a tentative knock on the door that opened slightly to reveal Ophelia who had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of her first grandchild.

"Can we come in now?" she asked just above a whisper. "We saw the healer leave and assumed you were done" she explained.

Daphne smiled and nodded towards her mother excitedly who immediately called the rest of the people that had been waiting along with her.

Ophelia along with Jonathan, Astoria, Tracey, Sirius, Marlene, Natalie, Remus and Dumbledore all entered the ward, all keen to get their first glimpse at the new addition to the Potter family.

"Shit" Sirius balked as he laid eyes on the blonde-haired and green-eyed child.

Marlene frowned at her husband and slapped him on the shoulder at his use of profanity.

"Language Sirius" Daphne chided with a chuckle. "You shouldn't swear in front of your Goddaughter like that" she pointed out amusedly.

Sirius's face dropped in shock as what Daphne had said sunk in.

"Me?" he asked dumbly.

"You" Harry confirmed, clapping the man on the shoulder.

"We thought you'd like the chance to do it properly this time" Daphne explained. "You didn't get to with Harry" She reminded him.

"You mean it?" the marauder asked emotionally. "You really want me?".

"I couldn't think of anyone else better" Harry replied sincerely. "Besides, Daphne won't let me curse her boyfriends, so you'll have to do it" he added, earning a glare from his wife.

"You've got it" Sirius choked, laughing at the same time.

"And we decided that Tracey would be the godmother" Daphne spoke, looking towards her friend who just nodded her agreement, fighting back the tears of happiness that welled in her eyes, not trusting herself to speak in the moment.

"What have you named her?" Jonathan asked as he stared in amazement at his granddaughter for the first time.

Harry and Daphne shared a smile before Harry answered.

"Ellia Ophelia Potter" he informed the room happily as he placed his arm around his wife.

Those in the room nodded their agreement with the name, their smiles mirroring that of the clearly proud father.

Ophelia stepped forward and hugged her daughter and son-in-law not knowing how to express how she felt that they would give their firstborn her name.

Over the next 3 years the Potter's would be blessed with the birth of children twice more, both occasions producing boys: Alexander Charlus Potter and Ara Arcturus Black, keeping the Black family tradition alive of using the stars to name their children.

After the birth of their second son the couple knew that no more children would be possible even though they had both been keen to have another son to continue the Greengrass line. Despite the sadness of the situation both Harry and Daphne were pleased to watch their family grow, which it continued to do over the years as they watched their children have their own children and even their children have theirs.

Harry willingly gave up the headship of his houses to his son's after they reached their 21st birthdays respectively so they themselves could experience the Wizengamot. As a Baron the family titles were not necessary and it gave him an excuse to forgo the meetings, something he never learnt to enjoy despite the amount of effort he put onto it.

Both Harry and Daphne guided and looked on in pride as their children grew and achieved in their lives.

Harry had taught them all the family magic as they had reached the age of fourteen, responsible enough in his eyes to learn it. His daughter in particular was a very skilled duelist and fighter, something he was very happy with. She was very magically powerful and had a natural talent for charms which she pursued after she had finished Hogwarts writing her own books and creating new spells as she went along.

Alexander had followed in his father's footsteps and was a prodigy in his own right in defense against the dark arts. It seemed that not only was he the double of his father but he excelled in the same areas as demonstrated by his joining of the auror force to work for Sirius, who was more than happy to employ the talented young man.

Ara had been a real surprise for both parents. He excelled in potions and transfiguration equally but he had certainly inherited a mischievous streak such as his grandfather and Sirius had. Though he had mostly been a quiet and reserved boy he could often be found pranking his older siblings and even other members of the family in ways that even Sirius was envious of. Despite his penchant for jokes he took his schoolwork very seriously and followed his mother into a career in potions having extra tutelage from his Grandfather Jonathan on the subject whenever he could. The relationship between the grandfather and grandson was so deep that Ara even named his second son after the man, even honouring him as far to continue the Greengrass line much to the pride of both his parent's and grandparent's alike.

Yes, both Harry and Daphne had every reason to be proud of their children and loved every moment of being parent's, though the childhood years of their offspring ended much too soon for either of their likings.

They watched as all three of the families they came from continued to grow and grow through the next few generations of children, content and happy that the family names would live on for the foreseeable future.

 _(BREAK)_

 _Many decades later_

Harry Potter sighed deeply as he observed his reflection critically in the mirror; he looked very good for a man of 138 years old. His hair had faded from the jet black colour of his youth to a dark grey and his eyes had been reduced to more of a turquoise colour rather than their customary emerald one, though they still exuded a level of intense power, even in his more advanced years. He had wrinkles like any man of his age would but he was pleased that they were rather minimal and that his laugh lines were much more deeply etched than those that formed from too much frowning; an indicator and evidence that his years had largely been wrought with times of happiness.

But now however, he was alone. The last of his generation and perhaps even the one that came after him.

He sighed and shook his head at the thought and begun to reflect on those he had grown with and had passed on, leaving him in the lonely state he had become accustomed to over the years.

The first to go had been Dumbledore, having managed to continue for a further 18 years after the war had finished, passing on contentedly surrounded by his closest friends, both Sirius and Harry being there for the man in his final moments.

Moody had followed a few short years after, maintaining his post as the head of the DMLE until the day he died, finally succumbing to the amount of curses and horrific injuries that had been inflicted upon him throughout his life. The grizzled man had been succeeded by Sirius in office, a demand Moody himself had made years before he had passed on.

Though Sirius had initially cursed the man for doing so the job became something for him to lose himself in as both Remus and Malrene took their leave within weeks of each other, changing the man into little more than a shadow of his true self. The death of his wife and final school friend hit the man incredibly hard and both Harry and Natalie did all they could for him even though he never got over the losses. He did eventually manage to carry on with his life but he was never the same mischievous marauder he was. The smiles he gave never reached his eyes after their passing and he himself passed rather young for a wizard of his caliber to which Harry put down to heartbreak.

The death of his godfather in particular hit Harry hard. He knew he was lucky to have Daphne and his children around him or he would have completely gone to pieces at the loss. He did manage to take some comfort from the situation knowing that Sirius was now with those he loved and had been missing for many years before he joined them on the other side.

Jonathan and Ophelia had been the next to make their respective journeys into the afterlife, the latter outliving her husband by only a year. It was Harry's turn to be the rock that his wife needed in her time of utter devastation, a role which he took in his stride and helped the woman through her grief the way she had with him when Sirius had gone.

Hermione had left Hogwarts to become a healer/inventor, personally creating many wondrous objects that would revolutionise the way the healing profession worked. The bag she had created in school had aptly been named the Abbott bag, in honour of her friend. She had married Neville after the two had gotten very close in the wake of Hannah's loss. Neville himself had joined the auror force and had a successful career, living up to and beyond the reputation his parent's had of being among the best of their generation. They had three children throughout their years, continuing the Longbottom name sufficiently for years to come. Both lived full lives and simply died of old age, Neville outliving his wife by a couple of decades. After her death he had immersed himself in his favourite subject, Herbology until the time came for him to join his wife.

Ron Weasley left Hogwarts with less than desirable grades and attempted to make his name in the leagues of professional qudditch. The one major flaw in his plan was that he had spent too much time talking about the sport rather than practicing causing him to fail abysmally in his attempt. He did however manage to secure employment as the conductor on the Knight Bus, a thankless job, but it managed to pay for a small flat for himself where he lived out his life mostly alone, only really seeing his family when they gathered together.

The rest of the Weasley's had been much more successful than the youngest member of the family.

Fred and George secured a loan from Gringotts to open the shop they had always dreamed of and it was an immediate and soaring success in the aftermath of the war.

Bill and Charlie both returned to their previous employments with Bill marrying Emmeline Vance of the order and Charlie marrying a Romanian witch he had been dating prior to the outbreak of the war.

Arthur remained content in his role working in the misuse of muggle artifacts department. He never got over the death of his wife and daughter and never remarried though all of his son's had urged him too. He didn't want anyone else knowing that it would feel wrong for him to share his bed with another. His heart had and always belonged to Molly.

Draco Malfoy managed to survive his 30-year stay in Nurmenguard and even emerged a semi-reasonable human being. He did attempt to settle back in Britain but his reputation as a sexual deviant had stuck so he opted to move abroad and spent his life in France. He completed his education and managed to get a job as an item procurement officer dealing in magical antiques. He only ever left the country to visit with his mother who remained in the south of Europe in the home that had been provided to her by Harry.

Bellatrix Black left Azkaban a changed woman, She had kept her promise to Harry and had accepted all treatment offered to her throughout her stay. She left prison and spent the remainder of her life living with Narcissa, knowing that despite the fact she had been instrumental in the fall of the Dark Lord, she would not be particularly welcome in Britain.

It was only when those of his own age and younger began to pass that Harry began to feel old.

Out of the closer friends he and Daphne maintained, Tracey was the first to go, dying from a nasty case of Wizard's Flu that she had been exposed to. Blaise continued on for a further 15 years and passed on from a horrific case of Dragon Pox.

Astoria and Natalie both passed from natural causes having both had long and fulfilling careers in their chosen fields.

Astoria had married a wizard she had met at a qudditch match and had 4 children with the man and Natalie had married a fellow professor who had begun to work at Hogwarts as Filius Flitwick's successor. She and her husband had 2 children of their own.

All of these deaths had hit Harry very hard but none could even scratch the surface of what he felt at the loss of his wife. She had not even been ill and Harry had simply woken up one morning and she was no longer with him. It was on this very day that Harry retired from his teaching post and chose to live the remainder of his years in an isolated peace that he had decided to year's prior. He and Daphne were both aware that Harry would outlive her as he was considerably more powerful, a gift during youth but a curse as an elderly man he had decided. He had also vacated Potter Manor in favour returning to the much more humble Black house that he had lived in the years before they married, partly because he couldn't face being in the manor any longer and partly because he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep in the bed they shared any more.

With Daphne's passing there was a significant void left within him at her absence, a death that he never had gotten over. Something within him had simply vanished or broken, he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that he was not the same man without her and there wasn't a moment that he did not feel her loss. But that had been 25 years ago, and yet he remained a broken man.

The day it all truly became too much for him was when he buried the last of his own children, Ellia. It was then that he had tired of life completely and even willed death to come and claim. Yes he had his grandchildren and their children but he could not face the prospect of burying anymore members of his family, his wife had been expected in away, though it had been a shock to him, but no man should ever have to bury his own children. That was too much for the wizard.

He sighed and dragged his hands through his hair as he looked away from the mirror he had spent an inordinate amount of time. Life is the longest thing that will be existed by any and in some ways it had gone by in a flash for Harry but in others, it had dragged on and on, second by second.

"Happy Birthday" he mumbled to himself as he began readying himself to visit the graves of those passed on, there was no one else he would rather spend it with after all.

He firstly apparated to the Black crypt where he spent some time with his godfather, Marlene, Natalie and of course, Arcturus.

As always he left them all a suitable tribute on each of their headstone's before sharing a few words with them and disapparating to be with those of his own name.

He arrived in Godric's Hollow and made his way through the main street that led towards the graveyard, the hot July sun setting in the distance leaving the pavement bathed in an orange light.

He entered the cemetery through the kissing gates and quickly came upon the first stop on his journey, the grave of Albus Dumbledore.

"I've even lived a year longer than you" he sighed as he placed a bag of sherbet lemon's on the grave in fondness for the old man.

After his visit with the headmaster he made his way to the area marked by a collection of granite black tombstones, those all belonging to someone with the name Potter.

He paused at first in front of his grandparent's and paid his respects to those he had been so happy to learn about over a century before, something he had never forgotten. He conjured some flowers for his grandmother and a Thestral ornament for Charlus, sticking it lovingly to the top of his monument.

"No matter how old I get I never forget how much you mean to me and still wish I had gotten to meet you both when I was more than a baby" he spoke quietly before he moved on to the graves of his parent's.

"If only you could see me now" he mumbled as he stood before them. "Life has been good mostly, as you know" he finished, leaving them the same tribute he had at every visit since the first time he had been here with Arcturus.

The next 3 he came to were those of his children where, as always, he was forced to swallow a lump of emotion that formed in his throat at the site of their graves.

"No father should have to bury his children" he declared sadly placing flowers for his daughter and a dragon and Griffin statue for each of his son's.

Though Ara was officially a Black Harry had insisted on him being buried with the Potter's, he was one after all in all but name.

"To this day I couldn't be any more proud of all three of you" he said sincerely before moving on to the final stop of his day; the final resting place of his wife.

He had long ago given up in trying to compose himself here. Allowing the tears of grief to fall he dropped to his knees, bowed his head and placed a hand on what remained of the love of his life, simply crying silently for a few moments at the rawness of the pain he still felt even after all this time.

"I still miss you more and more every day" he whispered after a minute or so.

"I miss you too" a voice sounded, breaking the old man from his thoughts and causing his head to snap upwards.

In front of him stood the very woman he had been thinking of, looking as she did the day they became man and wife.

"You know, I usually have to wait until I am asleep before I get to see you" he informed the woman as he stood, after he had managed to shake himself of the shock. "Even then you don't talk to me" he added sadly.

"Those are just dreams Harry" Daphne answered, nodding at something over his shoulder.

Harry turned to see himself still prostrated on his hands and knees at the foot of his wife's headstone. He looked down at his hands confusedly, his breath hitching in his chest at the youthfulness of his once wrinkled appendages.

"It's time?" he whispered, not being able to keep the hopeful tone from his voice.

"It is" Daphne responded with a watery smile. "They're all waiting for you" she explained.

"All of them?" Harry asked weakly. "The kids? Sirius? Arcturus? My parents?" he questioned frantically.

"All of them, all of those you have held in your heart are there" Daphne chuckled. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"I've been ready for 25 years" Harry choked as he stepped forward and pulled his wife into his arms, taking in every last detail of her, clinging to her as though she would once again be taken from him.

Daphne melted into the man she had fallen in love with over a century ago and sighed in contentment, 25 years seems like an eternity when you have to be without the one you love.

The pair eventually broke apart and Harry found himself in the grey mist that he had briefly visited the night in the graveyard at the end of the tournament.

With the whispers of those long past following them the couple walked forwards and disappeared to the place in which Harry had not been able to enter before to spend the rest of eternity with those they held most dear to themselves, namely each other.

Now all that remains of one Harry Potter is a granite tombstone that lies in the sleepy village of Godric's Hollow in Wales. He of course had been buried next to his wife and amongst the rest of his family, a family that he had both craved and built throughout his years amongst those on this plain. By his very own design the tombstone had been crafted and placed at his final resting place. It simply reads;

 _Baron Harry James Potter_

 _31/7/1980 – 31/7/2118_

 _Loving Husband, Father, Professor and Warrior_

 _Honour Thy Blood_

 _END_

 **A/N**

 **And that brings us to the end of Honour Thy Blood. I again want to thank you all for sharing this with me, it has certainly been emotional. I chose to end it this way knowing that if I carried on writing then it would go on for a further 300k words and it would become tiresome for us all as I would just be unnecessarily dragging it out. I don't even know what to write now so I will simply end it here, but know you all have my gratitude and as promised I am leaving you with a teaser/sample of what I am writing next.**

 **TBR**

Stepping Back

"So, as you can see Mr. Potter, even if you manage to beat him, we have already lost" the man explained, with a sad shake of his head.

Harry sighed and allowed everything he had heard to sink in. Although he did not want to admit it he knew that the man was right, there was nothing else to be done.

"So you think you can send me back that far?" he asked frustrated.

"With the room that you and your friends inadvertently created, yes, even our best Arithmancer's are certain it will work" the old man explained confidently.

Harry sighed again and shook his head.

"Believe me Mr. Potter, I myself find Divination a very obscure branch of magic and largely unfounded" the old man said in an attempt to placate the teen. "But we cannot risk hoping that this prophecy is a fallacy, we have to act, if there was any other way then I promise we would be exploring that" he added sincerely.

"So you just want me to give everything up and go back?" Harry questioned irritably.

"If you don't, then we as a nation of wizards are done" The man reminded him. "But look on the bright side, you will get to have the family you have always wanted, though your father will be a brother" he tried.

"I don't understand" Harry replied confusedly. "Surely, I'd have to change my name, who I am" he added with a raised eyebrow.

"That is where you are very much mistaken" the man answered with a grin. "You will be going back as Harry Potter" he explained simply. "Your family are famous for being secretive, it wouldn't be too unbelievable that Dorea and Charlus had twins, keeping one of them out of the public eye" he explained further.

"But won't they turn me away?" Harry asked worriedly.

"You are a Potter, they will take you in and treat you as a son once they understand everything" the man answered confidently. "Trust me" he implored.

Harry just nodded his agreement after a moment, actually a little excited that he would be seeing not only Sirius again but his father and the rest of his family that had passed away here.

"21 years ago must be very different" Harry mused out loud.

"It was" the man agreed. "And that is why we are going to use the time we have to prepare you for everything" he finished, happy that the young man had finally agreed.

 _ **As you can see this will be a time travel fic, but one where Harry will NOT be using a fake name or glamour's to hide who he is, he will be going back as Harry James Potter.**_

 _ **Of course this will give me a whole slew of characters to work with and create and you can bet your life that all of the favourites of Honour Thy Blood will be there ( Arcturus, Bellatrix, Charlus, Dorea and the marauders and Lily and so forth). Let me know what you think of the idea, I am quite looking forward to it and I imagine the first chapter will be up in a couple of days or so, so follow me so you don't miss it**_

 _ **TBR**_


	21. New Story Update

**A/N**

 **I was asked to publish an update here when the first chapter of my new story is published. It has now been uploaded.**

 **I can confirm that it will be a Harry/Bella fic, the idea was very popular indeed and I had always intended for it to be so.**

 **So check out 'Stepping Back', if you enjoyed this work I'm sure you will find this equally good, perhaps even better.**

 **TBR**


	22. Update

Hello everybody,

First and foremost, I apologise if you receive this update more than once. I know many of you follow all of my stories, and that there are some that follow only one.

This is just an update for you all and a thank you for everyone that has been in touch and advised me on what I should do as per my several questions and pleas for help. Your input is unbelievably appreciated, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So, taking the advice, I have created a page, which is now live and has all of the information on what I am doing and what my own venture into the world of writing entails, so please do check it out and any support, is of course greatly appreciated.

I am currently writing chapter 18 for Stepping Back, and I will be of course publishing it on here as is my usual practice. Nothing is going to change regarding me putting my fan fiction work on here.

Twitter is definitely where it is at, so please do follow me on there where I am giving daily updates and brief insights to what I am doing (Links to both and Twitter are on my profile page).

Again, I just want to offer my thanks to you all for supporting me in all of this from the very beginning, and I hope that you continue to share my journey with me.

TBR


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